


Golden Days

by somethingfamiliar



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Alpha Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Alpha Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Alpha Moon Taeil, Alpha Nakamoto Yuta, Alpha Suh Youngho | Johnny, Alpha Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Begging, Confused Mark Lee (NCT), Crying, Dom Suh Youngho | Johnny, F/F, Fraternities & Sororities, Friends to Lovers, Fucking, Getting Together, House Party, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun & Suh Youngho | Johnny Are Best Friends, Knotting, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mental Breakdown, Mentioned Minatozaki Sana, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Not Beta Read, Omega Dong Si Cheng | WinWin, Omega Kim Jungwoo (NCT), Omega Lee Taeyong, Omega Liu Yang Yang, Omega Mark Lee (NCT), Omega Qian Kun, Omega Wong Kun Hang | Hendery, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Rich Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Rimming, Smoking, Sub Mark Lee (NCT), Suh Youngho | Johnny Being an Asshole, Suh Youngho | Johnny Has a Big Dick, a lot fucking happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:08:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 83,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingfamiliar/pseuds/somethingfamiliar
Summary: Presenting as an Omega was fine, normal, great- just not what Mark Lee- or anyone- had expected. Making friends in uni is hard enough as it is, but when two people from his past appear back in his life, he struggled to find where exactly they fit again, especially now that he's- well, not an Alpha.And, for the love of God, when will Johnny Suh stop being the campus' beloved Alpha icon?
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Moon Taeil/Nakamoto Yuta, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Qian Kun, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Kim Jungwoo, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Lee Taeyong/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten, Liu Yang Yang/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun, Mark Lee/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Comments: 24
Kudos: 334





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay~ So this is super long and I had the idea in my head for 4389 years... it's been in the works for a long time now. 
> 
> As usual:  
> * Please note that I'm merely using the members of NCT as characters in a story and would, in no way, be trying to abuse their content, personal image or work with anything I've written. *
> 
> I tried my best to include everyone a bit- other than Chenle and Jisung- but there may be some confusion with orientations, so here they are:  
> Taeil- Alpha  
> Johnny- Alpha  
> Taeyong- Omega  
> Yuta- Alpha  
> Kun- Omega  
> Doyoung- Alpha  
> Ten- Alpha  
> Jaehyun- Alpha  
> Sicheng- Omega  
> Jungwoo- Omega  
> Lucas- Alpha  
> Hendery- Omega  
> Mark-Omega  
> Xiaojun- Alpha  
> Renjun- Omega  
> Jeno- Alpha  
> Haechan- Omega  
> Jaemin- Alpha  
> Yangyang-Omega
> 
> Enjoy~

Doyoung was waiting for Jungwoo when he got out of his class, leaning against the lockers and drumming his fingers against his stack of textbooks.

“What are you doing here? I thought I’d see you later.” Jungwoo greeted him with a smile, interlocking their fingers as Doyoung guided them down the corridor with a mirroring expression,

“The kids arrive today, so I wanted to be out of the house.” Doyoung shrugged, swinging their hands together and pausing at a window in the corridor, groaning as he looked out, “Johnny’s out there. Let’s go the long way.” Jungwoo huffed in response, watching as Johnny idly smiled at the group he seemed to be entertaining in the courtyard.

“Are you serious? Come on, you’ll have to see him at some point this semester-  _ Jesus,  _ you’ll be  _ living _ with him. Just go and say hi.” Jungwoo coaxed, but Doyoung didn’t look too convinced. Two semesters ago Doyoung had presented as an Alpha and, in turn, been moved out of the dormitory into the strictly-Alpha, on-campus Fraternity house. Jungwoo had been moved into the Omega Sorority house a semester prior, having presented a little earlier, but now it was a new semester and that meant fresh meat in the houses and during the holidays  _ Johnny _ seemed to have presented. See, Doyoung didn’t  _ dislike _ Johnny, he just didn’t have very high expectations for a well-built, handsome, 6-foot-something jock. He wasn’t even a jock, he was a business major and that made it all the more infuriating to Doyoung, Jungwoo couldn’t quite grasp why. He sighed, letting Jungwoo drag him reluctantly towards the courtyard. 

“Jungwoo, he won’t even know who I am, he doesn’t want to be seen with me. Let’s just go.” Doyoung grumbled, but Jungwoo was frowning at him, determined as he squeezed his hand to stop him from trying to escape. 

“Well, introduce yourself then. I’ll buy your lunch as a reward.” Jungwoo shot back smoothly, entirely too feisty considering his innocent complex. They approached Johnny’s group and Doyoung stepped forward awkwardly, waiting for one of the Omega girls to finish talking,

“H-hi, I’m Doyoung. I heard you’ll be joining the Fraternity, it looks like we’ll be living together.” Doyoung smiled, offering his hand out to Johnny who had this infuriating little smirk on his face, but Doyoung wasn’t backing down. If anything it felt like a challenge. 

“Oh, Doyoung, nice to meet you.” Johnny said shortly, half sounding disinterested, but he took Doyoung’s hand out of politeness, “And this is…?” Johnny looked over Doyoung’s shoulder towards Jungwoo, eyeing him for longer than Doyoung deemed necessary. 

“Jungwoo, arts major. Nice to meet you.” Jungwoo stepped forward, taking Johnny’s hand next and bowing, a bashful smile on his face before Doyoung could reach out to grab his hand back in his, a power move to show Johnny he was taken. It worked a charm, Johnny’s eyes flicking down to their interlocked fingers before darting back up to Jungwoo’s face,

“You must be in the sorority. My friend is moving in tomorrow, I’m glad to know he’ll be in good hands with you there.” Johnny said smoothly, attention trained on Jungwoo and it was starting to piss Doyoung off a bit. He swallowed dryly, trying his best not to spread his aggravated scent around, he didn’t want to seem like a dick on their  _ first _ impression. 

“Oh, I’ll look out for him, what was his name?” Jungwoo asked brightly, always seeming to be oblivious of when he was being checked out. Johnny held his gaze and Doyoung was squeezing Jungwoo’s hand to try and signal for them to leave. 

“Taeyong, he’s pretty, you won’t miss him.” Johnny smiled a little wolfishly, taking a step closer, “But I dare say, he isn’t quite as pretty as you.” Doyoung had heard quite enough.

“Well, I’ll see you around, Johnny. We’ve got somewhere to be.” Doyoung said abruptly, half dragging Jungwoo away and trying to ignore the gazes that followed after them. A fair few of them being angry gazes aimed at Jungwoo, but as usual, he was oblivious. 

Doyoung angrily shovelled another spoonful of rice into his mouth, a constant frown between his eyebrows as Kun, Taeil and Yuta joined them in the cafeteria. 

“I just  _ don’t  _ like him, okay? He practically had Jungwoo wrapped around his finger! What sort of  _ newly-presented _ Alpha is like that?” Doyoung exasperated, throwing down his spoon and looking at the other two Alphas at the table. Yuta scrunched his nose and Taeil seemed to be more interested in the canteen Kimchi than he was in Doyoung’s ranting. 

“Well, to be fair, I think he was like that before he presented.” Yuta shrugged, sipping his iced coffee leisurely and it only seemed to annoy Doyoung more. How could he be so calm in this situation?

“He didn’t have me wrapped around his finger, don’t be silly, Youngie.” Jungwoo laughed, clearly amused that Doyoung had even come up with the idea, but Kun had a hand on Jungwoo’s shoulder. 

“You really are the most oblivious person I’ve ever met. It’s admirable, you know you might be able to win an award or something.” Kun deadpanned as he turned back to his food and it almost had Doyoung laughing.  _ Almost _ . 

“And we’re going to be  _ living _ with him! God, I’m going to wake up to his stupid, punchable, face every morning.” Doyoung said through gritted teeth, but it had Jungwoo raising an eyebrow. 

“Calm down, you don’t actually have to  _ sleep _ with him. The Frat’s big, just avoid him. I’m sure he’ll choose one of those empty rooms down the corridor from you. It’ll be fine.” Jungwoo brushed him off, placing a slice of lotus root on Doyoung’s rice to try and cheer him up. He hoped Jungwoo was right, he really did. 

Jungwoo was wrong. When Doyoung returned home after his shift at the coffee shop that evening he found his bedroom door half obstructed by a stack of boxes with an English name scrawled in marker.  _ Perfect _ , Doyoung thought. 

“Ah, we met earlier, right? Soonyoung, was it?” Johnny appeared from his bedroom, shirt sleeves rolled up to his shoulders even though it was minus numbers outside. Doyoung didn’t think it was necessary. 

“It’s Doyoung.” He replied with a sigh, looking down the corridor to see if anyone else had taken the other rooms. 

“Oh, yeah, the other rooms seemed a little cramped so I chose this one. There’s a few other newbies, I haven’t met them all yet.” Johnny shrugged, lifting another box into his arms and taking it into his room, “So, how did you meet Jungwoo?” Doyoung was halfway to opening his bedroom door, but apparently Johnny wanted to make his blood boil by remembering his  _ boyfriend’s  _ name. Doyoung took a moment to compose himself, breathing raggedly through his mouth before turning back to Johnny with a smile,

“I think it was at one of the mixer events before we both presented. We have one this weekend for the new Alphas and Omegas to meet each other.” Doyoung explained with a voice and smile as fake as his customer service one. Johnny didn’t seem to notice or, if he did, he didn’t seem to care. He hummed, moving the stack of boxes from Doyoung’s door,

“Sounds good, I haven’t been to a house party in god-knows how long.” He chuckled to himself, “Anyway, I’ll let you get to bed. I don’t know about you, but I have a morning class tomorrow and I want to hit the gym before I go.” Johnny smiled, moving his things and bidding Doyoung goodnight. The gym. Of-fucking-course he’s ‘hitting the gym’ tomorrow morning. 

Mark hesitantly pressed the doorbell, shivering in the cold evening weather and cursing himself for taking on his friend’s tutoring shift after his own classes. He knew he was moving in today and he’d still taken it on and now it was 11pm, him and his life belongings on a Sorority doorstep as he waited for someone,  _ anyone _ , to answer the door. It felt like an hour before the door swung open to reveal a boy in shorts and a sweater, his messy hair framing his pretty features.

“Christ! It’s cold, hurry up, come in!” Mark nodded, moving his suitcase inside the house and watching in subdued amusement as the boy tried to help, dancing from foot to foot on the cold stone porch. 

“I’m sorry I came so late, I was working.” Mark muttered, letting the boy close the door with a sigh. He looked up at the entrance hall in wonderment, eyes falling to the dully-lit living room across the hallway where he could hear a few voices coming from. 

“You’re Mark, right?” The boy asked, grabbing his attention again as he snapped out of his daze, nodding and pulling his suitcase closer, “Great, I’m Hendery. Leave your stuff here, I’ll get one of the Alphas to carry it up for you tomorrow.” Hendery led him down the hallway to a bright, polished kitchen all in grey slate and white marble. It looked much too expensive compared to Mark’s dimly-lit, broken-stoved dormitory kitchen. 

“The-the Alphas?” Mark asked in confusion, looking around in bewilderment at all the furnishings and extravagant decor, “I- um- I wasn’t expecting it to be so… nice.” He added dumbly, looking like a lost puppy until Hendery laughed and slid open the refrigerator, grabbing another wine glass from the overhead cupboard. 

“Yes, the Alphas. Everyone seems to have a boyfriend or a side-thing at the moment. I’ll get one of them to bring it up.” Hendery replied, taking two wine bottles out and squinting at them both before placing one back, Red or White?” Mark frowned before Hendery shook the bottle of red at him and guided him through to the living room where the sound was coming from. 

“Oh, I-I’m fine.” Mark said softly, following Hendery down the steps and eyeing the group sat around the coffee table in the centre of the living room, lounging on the sofas like they belonged there. 

“Hm, suit yourself.” Hendery shrugged, “This is Mark, I found him on the doorstep.” Hendery introduced dumbly, gesturing towards Mark with the bottle opener, “Who needs a top-up?” Jungwoo pushed his glass in front of Hendery as he looked up at Mark,

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you! We wondered where you’d got to, are you alright?” Jungwoo smiled gently at him, ushering him to take a seat. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I worked overtime and I didn’t realise how late it’d make me.” Mark explained, fiddling with his fingers as he looked at each of the Omegas in turn. There were six including him and they all seemed so pretty in the low-lighting of the living room. Mark wasn’t sure why he even presented as an Omega at times, he wasn’t even a  _ little _ pretty. 

“I’m Kun, that’s Renjun and Sicheng and you’ve met the other two.” The boy sitting beside Mark said softly, even his voice seemed pretty. He nodded, smiling at each of them and watching as Kun took a sip of his wine. 

“Cute,” Sicheng said softly, snacking on a handful of nuts before continuing, “Anyway, this guy I’m telling you about- you won’t believe what he said to me. He said  _ ‘so if you’re an Omega, you’re used to big dicks, right? Well I’m no Alpha, but I’m sure I can fill you up just how you _ -” Sicheng was talking at the speed of light and Mark found himself staring wide-eyed at this strange Omega in front of him. 

“On second thoughts, I think I’ll take a glass of red if it’s still going, Hendery.” Mark spoke up, watching as Hendery smiled at him in amusement, pouring him a glass and handing it to him with a wink. Mark hadn’t expected this to be easy, but he’d been here for less than 10 minutes and he’d not imagined it to be  _ this _ hard. 

Doyoung awoke to the sound of yelling a little past 6 the following morning. It was Johnny and a few of the other Alphas from what Doyoung could tell, but he was trying to keep an open mind-  _ maybe it wasn’t Johnny, maybe it was the cat next door that occasionally scratched against the flower pot outside their kitchen window-  _ but it was hard when he knew the sound of nails on chalk flower pots was much more pleasant than whatever hell that Johnny was breaking loose in the kitchen downstairs. Doyoung wasn’t supposed to be up until 8, but once he woke, there was no way of going back to sleep. 

“I’m going to kill him, I really am going to kill him.” Doyoung looked up as Taeil walked into his bedroom chanting his threats before abruptly falling face down onto Doyoung’s bed with a groan. 

“I’ll help you hide the body if you decide against your ethical morals and understand that you  _ can _ happily kill a person in cold-blood.” Doyoung replied, curling his fingers into Taeil’s hair and scratching affectionately at his scalp. Taeil hummed, an unconvincing sound. 

“We’ll have to see if my new ethics professor is as convincing as my last.” He groaned, suddenly kicking his legs out in annoyance, “And that class doesn’t start for another four hours! I could be sleeping for another  _ four hours _ , Doyoung!” Taeil stressed, thrashing at the bedsheets and grumbling in annoyance. Doyoung shushed him as the sounds briefly died down, only to groan out in anger when they started up again. He hadn’t met the other new Alphas yet but he had a feeling that he didn’t really want to now- especially if they were all going to look up to Johnny like some pack leader. Taeil burrowed his face into Doyoung’s neck, throwing a hand over his chest as he settled down. 

“I don’t know how Yuta can sleep through all this. He’s something else.” Doyoung mumbled, holding Taeil and closing his eyes before a knock came at the door, jolting them out of their reverie. 

“Hyung? Do you want breakfast? Johnny’s making it.” Jaehyun was behind the door, voice sounding a little too bright for this early in the morning and it made Doyoung sort of want to punch him. He was glad the door was still shut between them because he was having a hard time controlling his expression. 

“I’m fine thanks, Jaehyun.” Doyoung replied, Taeil chuckling softly at the mere falseness to his voice, “Taeil’s fine, too.” Doyoung answered for him in revenge. Jaehyun hummed, footsteps retreating down the hallway as he left. 

“I see he’s even pulled Jae in with his charms.” Taeil commented, chuckling at the thought. Jaehyun had moved in at the same time as Doyoung- two semesters ago- but he always had this sense of being an Alpha for much longer, just like Johnny. That was probably why they got on so well. Doyoung tried not to be bitter as he turned over to spoon Taeil. 

Taeyong had agreed to let Johnny help bring his things to the Sorority that afternoon and right about now he was beginning to regret his decision. 

“Johnny, come on, I really have to go.” Taeyong tugged at his sleeve as Johnny began chatting up another person at their locker. It was getting out of hand and Taeyong was starting to get aggravated, just wanting to lay in bed and sleep for hours after this godforsakenly long day. Johnny brushed Taeyong off, dismissive and Taeyong didn’t like that one bit. He was going, with or without Johnny, enough was enough. He left towards his dormitory to begin gathering his bags and suitcase, struggling to keep everything in his arms and not be dragged down the hallway by his belongings. 

“Hey- do you want some help?” Taeyong looked around as he got out into the corridor, ready to just about say yes to anyone offering their services, but as he met eyes with the stranger he felt a heavy feeling settling in his chest. He’d always been careful not to talk to Alphas he didn’t know, even before presenting, but now he was an Omega and that made matters a whole lot worse. 

“I- uh- I think I’ll be okay.” He replied softly, looking down at his things and backing away down the corridor, cursing as he upended a bag stacked atop his suitcase. The Alpha moved forward, slowly, hesitantly picking up the bag and placing it back on the suitcase. 

“I don’t mean to overstep, I just- I presented recently too- I- I mean, I’m guessing you’re moving into the Sorority? I moved to the Fraternity yesterday, I wasn’t trying to be creepy.” There was something almost puppy-like about the Alpha, it was pulling on Taeyong’s heartstrings and he hated how it made him want to get to know him more. A red warning light clicked on in the back of his mind-  _ he’s stronger, Tae, he’s an Alpha, he could hurt you _ . 

“I’m Taeyong.” His ignorance was unshakable as he offered his hand. The Alpha smiled gently, taking it in one of his ridiculous large hands and shaking softly, an action that was designed to make Taeyong realise that Alphas weren’t all just strong and capable and too much to handle. 

“Lucas.” He responded, looking back at Taeyong’s bags, “Let me at least help you take your things downstairs?” He asked hesitantly and it made Taeyong think he could get used to this Alpha’s company. 

It irked Lucas that an Alpha had let such a pretty Omega like Taeyong down. Taeyong had eventually given in and let Lucas help him all the way to the Sorority house and it'd given them some time to get to know each other. Lucas told Taeyong that he studied sports communications and Taeyong told him about his major in dance and how exhausting it could be. 

“So, the Alpha who was supposed to be helping you, should I be careful to keep my distance from you? I don’t want to strike a nerve, I’ve only just moved in there and I’d rather not get my head bitten off just yet.” Lucas said easily, sticking his leg out to catch a bag as it fell from Taeyong’s suitcase again. Taeyong laughed in response, smiling gratefully as Lucas shifted the boxes in his arms and pulled the bag over his shoulder. 

“Oh, Johnny? No, we’re just friends, he can be a bit of a dick sometimes, but I’ve known him awhile, so I’m used to it by now.” Taeyong explained, looking up at the building in front of them, right between the female Omega house and the male Alpha house. He sighed shakily, it was bigger than he’d expected. 

“Hey, you don’t have to be nervous,” Lucas said as they made their way up the short driveway, “It’ll take some getting used to, I’m sure, but you’ll make friends and if you need anything then Johnny a-and I are right next door.” He said reassuringly, hesitantly spreading his scent to try and calm Taeyong and it was working even if Taeyong wasn’t willing to admit it. He nodded gratefully, looking towards the Alpha house in the shared driveway,

“Y-Yeah, it’ll be fine, you’re right.” Taeyong hummed softly, taking the final few steps to knock at the Sorority’s door. It opened all too quickly, an innocent-looking Omega standing there with a mug of coffee. 

“Oh shit, you’re here, hang on.” The Omega ran out of sight for a moment, a scuffle sounding down the hallway before he came back empty handed to help Taeyong with his things, “I’m Kun, you’re Taeyong, I’m guessing?” He added, lifting Taeyong’s box of sweaters into his arms and smiling over his shoulder as he began stacking his things in the hallway. 

“Yeah, sorry, am I early?” Taeyong asked hesitantly as he took a few bags from Lucas, “I didn’t know if anyone would be in later- since it’s Friday and all.” He explained, Lucas handing him boxes, but politely not stepping into the Omega house. 

“Ah that’s probably best, a few of them are planning on pre-ing before we go out tonight.” Kun paused, looking to Lucas hesitantly, “It’s alright, you can come in, no one’s in Heat. We need someone to help carry Mark’s things upstairs too.” Kun smiled softly, nodding towards the stairs just out of view from the door. Lucas swallowed, entering with the last of Taeyong’s bags and slipping his shoes off at the door. 

“This is Lucas, apparently he just moved in next door.” Taeyong explained, following Kun up the stairs with a box in his arms. 

“Ah, Lucas, have you met the others yet? I’m sure we’ll all get to know each other tonight.” Kun said, a smile in his voice that Taeyong wanted to question, but he refrained as they turned down the corridor, Kun knocking at a door, “Mark? Can you help us with Taeyong’s things? There’s an Alpha here to bring your things up as well.” He said, the door swinging open to reveal a messy-haired brunette, a little shorter than Taeyong, dressed in a blue hoodie and basketball shorts. Taeyong wondered if his legs were cold, it was minus degrees outside. 

“O-oh, hello, I’m sorry-” Mark looked between them all, a little overwhelmed before he made an attempt at flattening his hair down, reaching for his glasses and coming back to the door with a shy smile on his lips, “I’m Mark, it’s nice to meet you.” Taeyong smiled gently at the Omega, sighing as he took the box from his hands. 

“Go ahead and choose a room, the others will arrive soon.” Kun spoke up, gesturing for Taeyong to lead the way now that he was empty handed. Taeyong hummed, choosing a room, two along from Mark’s and not bothering to look at the third option. 

“This’ll be great. Thanks, Kun.” Taeyong smiled, helping them place the boxes just beside the window looking out over the grounds. They filed back downstairs to start moving the rest of Taeyong and Mark’s belongings, getting it all done in one go as there were four of them. Taeyong was thanking his lucky stars that he’d bumped into a sports major and not another  _ pointless _ business one. But maybe he was just still bitter about it all. 

“You moved in yesterday?” Lucas asked as Mark entered his room with a box he’d left downstairs, Kun and Taeyong down the corridor leaving them alone. 

“Y-Yeah, I’m sorry to trouble you with this all. I-I didn’t get your name.” Mark called, beckoning Lucas into his room as he stood awkwardly at the door. Lucas knew it was a good idea to not assert dominance in a house that wasn’t his own and Mark seemed to look grateful for it. 

“Oh, sorry, I’m Lucas. I moved in yesterday as well. T-To the Fraternity, I mean.” He smiled sheepishly, “Well, I should get going- unless there’s anything else you need?” He asked, being careful not to look around Mark’s room too much, he knew it was impolite for their first formal meeting. Mark came towards him,

“No, it’s fine, I should just unpack now. Can I get you anything before you go, something to eat?” He fiddled with the hem of his sweater, clearly nervous in an Alpha’s presence. From what Lucas could tell, Mark seemed to have presented very recently and hadn’t been around a whole lot of Alphas in that time, he didn’t want to overstep.

“Oh, no, don’t worry about it. I should get back to the house.” Lucas said softly, trying not to eye Mark for too long, but Mark seemed to be less restrained, eyes running over his skinny jeans and loose plaid shirt, Lucas making a mental note to start putting more effort into his outfits, “I guess I’ll see you tonight at the mixer?” Lucas added after a beat of silence, Mark’s eyes flicking back up to his face, cheeks colouring at being caught staring so unabashedly.

“Yeah, I’ll see you at the mixer. I’ll walk you out.” Mark guided them down the hallway, brushing past Lucas as he bit his lip. Lucas could’ve sworn Mark’s scent had spiked, but some things were better left unsaid.

Sicheng twisted in the mirror, lifting his arms to try and get a good look at his ass in the reflection. He was in just his skinny jeans and Mark wondered if he knew he already looked amazing. He had an inkling of a feeling he did.

“Black or red?” Sicheng spun around to look at the others in question. Kun was colouring Hendery’s waterline in with black eyeliner, Renjun beside them with his legs sprawled across Jungwoo’s lap as he mindlessly scrolled through his phone.

“Red.” Renjun said, barely sparing him a look, tossing his phone aside as Jungwoo began massaging his calves.

“Red would look good, I think.” Jungwoo agreed, maneuvering Renjun’s scrawny legs in his lap, “Injunnie, aren’t you getting changed?” He added, watching in amusement as he reluctantly pulled his legs off Jungwoo’s lap, slumping out of the room like a depressed toddler. When it all came down to it, he loved a good party, he just didn’t seem in the mood right now and Jungwoo had a feeling it had something to do with a boy.

“Mark? What do you think?” Sicheng turned to Mark who still seemed to be looking around the house like he was going to miss something if he blinked. He widened his eyes, finally noticing Sicheng’s lack of clothing. Kun thought he was almost as oblivious as Jungwoo.

“O-oh- um- I think both would look nice on you, Hyung.” He said politely, trying to sound sure of himself, but being an Omega was still horribly new to him and he wasn’t sure whether this was a test or not.

“Yes, but which one would make you want to get on your knees for me?” Sicheng asked, sauntering seductively towards where Mark sat on the edge of the bed, firmly holding Mark’s gaze. Kun hissed at him sharply,

“Ten, don’t tease him. He’s still new.” Kun chided, swatting at his thigh as he walked passed, Sicheng giggling in eagerness.

“Oh, come on, Kun, don’t ruin his fun. Mark would tell us to stop if he wanted.” Hendery said easily, but Jungwoo wasn’t sure that this lost, little Omega  _ would _ tell them.

“I-I think the black is prettier.” Mark suddenly spoke up confidently, holding Sicheng’s gaze and even surprising himself. Sicheng leant in, brushing Mark’s hair back and nodding,

“Good, that was all I needed.” Sicheng stood up straight, not moving away from Mark as he pulled the sheer shirt up his arms, buttoning the front and half-tucking it into his jeans, leaving the chest open, “I preferred the black anyway.” Jungwoo scoffed at that, collapsing back on the bed and mentally thanking Kun for putting an excess amount of hairspray in his hair so it wouldn’t ruin if he happened to be thrown against a mattress in a very  _ different _ sense tonight. He was expecting as much. 

“Then why did you ask for our opinion?” Jungwoo groaned, blinking his contact lense out the corner of his eye and reaching for the eyedrops Kun was already offering him.

“Hm, I don’t know, it was more fun I guess.” Sicheng shrugged, turning back to the mirror to begin his makeup, adding a thick velvet choker to his neck only pausing when he noticed the door opening hesitantly in the reflection, “Holy shit, I think we have a winner.” He added, raising his eyebrows and turning around fully as Taeyong walked in, eyes wide and innocent as he scanned the room for any sort of reaction other than gaping.

“W-why? Is it too much? I-I can change, I’m sorry, I’ve never been to one of these things before.” Taeyong asked a little hesitantly, chewing on his lip, but Sicheng was rushing forward, dragging him into the room.

“Absolutely not. You are  _ not _ changing,  _ Jesus _ , we’re going to have to watch out for him.” Sicheng said cheekily, running his hands over Taeyong’s waist and eyeing the outfit again. It was a black velvet wrap around blazer, showing a wide expanse of his clean, pale chest, paired with ripped skinny jeans and an expensive-looking belt accentuating his waist.

“Damn, where’d you get that from? I want one.” Hendery said in surprise, eyeing Taeyong’s outfit with a look of awe.

“Oh, no one's Heat is near, right?” Kun asked quickly, suddenly remembering to ask the question. Mark bit his lip, looking at Taeyong and realising they were sharing a similar expression- neither of them had endured Heats yet.

“I haven’t-” Taeyong began, but Renjun was walking in, interrupting them all with a boy beside him looking a little dishevelled and visibly cold.

“This is Yangyang, he just arrived.” Renjun cut in, letting the boy step forward, Jungwoo smiled up at him before Kun made his way towards him. 

“Ah, Yangyang, I’m glad you could make it in time. Don’t worry, we haven’t started drinking yet. Do you want to take a shower before getting ready? I can help you set up your room for now, there’s nothing worse than coming home drunk to an unmade bed…” Kun’s voice trailed off as he guided Yangyang back out into the corridor.

“So? Heats?” Jungwoo spoke up again, Renjun laying his head in Jungwoo’s lap this time.

“Mine’s next month.” Sicheng said, not one bit embarrassed by the topic.

“I had mine a few weeks ago, so I’ve got a while.” Hendery added, Renjun nodding in agreement. Their Heats were practically a week apart from one another. Jungwoo was due in a month and a half and Kun would talk with Yangyang about it.

“I haven’t had mine yet.” Taeyong picked up from where he’d left off.

“Me neither.” Mark added, looking to Jungwoo then to Sicheng in confusion, “Do we have to be careful?” He asked a little oblivious and it would’ve made Sicheng laugh if he didn’t know how innocent Mark was.

“Yes, we do.” He replied easily, a smile playing on his lips, “Your scent changes before and during Heat, it can be hard for the Alphas to handle sometimes. It’s a little unpredictable when you have your first Heat, but it should regulate after that and then you’ll know when it’s coming.” Sicheng explained, finishing up his makeup before turning to the rest of them with a smirk at how they all seemed to roll their eyes.

“Well done, Sichengie, you explained that in a very mature w-” Jungwoo began, teasingly, but Sicheng was cutting in.

“Then all you’ll want is for some thick, faceless Alpha to fuck you until you’re crying into your pillow and rutting against-” 

“Who’s ready for drinks?” Renjun interrupted blandly, moving towards the hallway and smirking as the others began following him like lost puppies.

Mark had been to a total of two mixers in his life, although he was reluctant to count the first one because he ended up taking his friend home in their first 15 minutes of getting there because he was pretty sure he’d ended up with alcohol poisoning. By the time they arrived at the female Alphas residence- where the party was being held- it was already in full swing and Mark was wondering why he hadn’t taken an extra shot or five when they were back in the safety of their own house. The whole downstairs was packed, practically half the campus squeezed in a Sorority house. Sicheng led them to the kitchen, elbowing his way through the crowd and making sure to catch Yuta’s eye from across the room.

“Right, go and mingle and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Sicheng said to Yangyang, Taeyong and Mark, handing them each a drink that he’d mixed himself. Mark wasn’t sure it was supposed to be blue  _ and _ taste like wine, but he digressed.

“You made it?” Mark spun around to find Lucas towering over him, a solo cup in hand as he smiled toothily.

“Lucas! Thanks again for earlier.” Taeyong pushed past Mark, stepping up to stand in front of him, but Lucas’ eyes were still trained on Mark. He looked to Taeyong,

“Not at all, it was no trouble.” He smiled and Mark didn’t know if he was seeing things but he almost thought Lucas’ smile seemed more closed off than when he’d looked at him.

“Well, I’ll buy you a meal to make it up to you.” Taeyong responded, bouncing on his toes and Mark didn’t feel like sticking around for the rest of their conversation. He smiled at Lucas before dipping into the crowd and taking a long swig of whatever Sicheng had made him. He spotted Jungwoo across the room, laughing with some of the Alphas from the Fraternity house next door and he guessed there wouldn’t be any harm done in spending his time with them.

“Mark, come here!” Jungwoo beckoned him over before he even expected him to notice his presence, “Meet my boyfriend, Doyoung and our friends, Yuta and Taeil.” He smiled wide, gesturing towards them as he introduced them both. Mark could feel Yuta’s eyes lingering on him for a little longer than Taeil’s had.

“Hi, I’m Mark, I moved in yesterday.” He said shortly, Yuta cocking his head as if waiting for him to go on, “I’m studying graphic design and teach English in my spare time.” He racked his brain for something else to say, but he’d gone into this not at all how he’d rehearsed.

“He’s cute,” Taeil commented, looking to Jungwoo as he nodded, “When did you present?” Mark wondered if this was a standard question or if it was just Taeil being nosy, but the others seemed interested to know the answer so he guessed it wasn’t out of the ordinary.

“Oh- um- just under a month ago, I think?” Mark explained, taking another gulp of his drink. He didn’t know if he should be asking the same question back to Alphas or if it was considered rude since he was an Omega, but Jungwoo was stepping in graciously.

“He hasn’t had his Heat yet, so you’re both to keep your hands off until he does.” Jungwoo said firmly, but there was a lightness to his voice that had Taeil and Yuta laughing softly, nodding in understanding.

“Of course, we’re not as Alpha as some might perceive. Have you  _ seen _ Johnny yet? The last time I saw him he had an Omega girl in his lap- he looked like he was going to  _ devour _ her!” Taeil exasperated and Mark couldn’t hold back a laugh at his exaggeration. 

“That sounds like Johnny. He really hasn’t changed, then?” Mark asked, looking between the four of them as they all frowned in confusion. He suddenly panicked that he’d said something wrong until Jungwoo leant forward to press a hand on his shoulder, telling him to ease his scent.

“How do you know him?” Doyoung asked inquisitively, suddenly wondering if they shouldn’t be bad mouthing him like this, but Mark was laughing softly.

“I don’t really know him anymore, he probably won’t even recognise me.” Mark tried not to sound upset by it, but it did sort of feel like a punch in the gut, “We were in Korean class together from fifth grade, since we’re international students and all.” He shrugged, looking around as if he might spot Johnny, but the place was far too crowded and everyone felt at least a head taller than him.

“Was he as much of a dick in middle and highschool as he is now?” Taeil asked flatly, yelping when Doyoung elbowed him in the ribs, “What? Everyone thinks it!” Doyoung bit his lip, hesitantly looking at Mark again.

“Well, does he still mess people around, stand them up and lead them on?” Mark asked with a raised eyebrow. Jungwoo chuckled at that, looking to Yuta as he spoke up,

“We’ve been living with him for 27 hours and so far- from what we can see- yes, he does.” Yuta swallowed, looking far too irritated by even the prospect of Johnny.

“Then yes,” Mark nodded, downing the last of his drink, “He  _ was _ this much of a dick in middle and highschool.”

Kun sat on the ocuntertop, swinging his legs against the cupboards with Sicheng at his side, talking to a boy from one of his linguistics classes when Jaehyun approached.

“No, nope, not tonight, Jaehyun!” Kun immediately shook his head, regretting it as he began feeling dizzy already. Sicheng must’ve made him a double rather than a single.

“Oh, come on, you know you want to.” Jaehyun teased, sidling up to him with that infectious grin on his face. 

“Nope, not tonight, I’ve got the newbies to look after! There’s no way-” Kun began, but Jaehyun had a distracting hand on the back of his neck, his face much closer than a moment before.

“They can watch, I can get you off right here, if you want.” Jaehyun was teasing, Kun knew he wouldn’t, but he had to shut it down before it went too far. He’d spent far too many mornings waking up in Jaehyun’s bed with-  _ another- _ hardon and a hangover.

“Jaehyun, not tonight.” Kun said firmly and Jaehyun was scrunching his nose teasingly, but leaning back all the same.

“So, how is it? The new ones, are they good?” Jaehyun asked conversationally, smirking as Sicheng melted into the touch of the linguistics boy. 

“They’re Omegas, of course they’re good.” Kun said, nodding towards Yangyang who was sat on a Beta’s lap across the room, laughing gently, “He’s the youngest, Yangyang, cute, isn’t he?” Jaehyun hummed, watching as one of the new Alphas from his fraternity approached.

“He looks like he knew he was going to be an Omega.” Jaehyun commented with a smirk- some of them, you could just tell. Kun hummed his agreement,

“That’s Taeyong, he’s a little older than me, but you wouldn’t think so. He’s the typical Omega, pretty without realising, obedient- you know the type.” Kun said easily, Jaehyun nodding his understanding.

“So just like you, then?” He teased, looking up at Kun and reaching for a few bottles on the counter to top-up Kun’s drink.

“When have I ever been obedient?” Kun shot back with a teasing smile, Jaehyun snorting and nodding reluctantly, “Oh, there’s the last one- Mark.” Kun suddenly spoke, roughly pointing in Mark’s direction as he came into view from where Kun was sitting in the kitchen. He looked a little uncomfortable, but Jungwoo, Doyoung and Yuta were with him so Kun wasn’t too worried.

“He’s an Omega?” Jaehyun asked curiously, handing the cup back to Kun and beginning with his own.

“Yes, don’t sound so judgemental.” Kun said, kicking his hip, “But he is an interesting one. He doesn’t seem to know much about being an Omega, it’s sort of cute. He’s like a lost Alpha-puppy, but with all the Omega parts. I’m still trying to work him out.” Jaehyun stared a little longer at Mark, sipping his drink leisurely. 

“I can give him a go, if you want? Everyone seems to tell me their wildest secrets when I’m deep enough inside them to have them seeing stars. Isn’t that right, Kunnie?” Jaehyun teased, sliding his hand onto Kun’s knee, but Kun was slapping him away, giving him a disgusted look.

“Jaehyun- I swear to God- if you don’t shut up, the next thing to come out of your mouth will be your  _ teeth _ .”

Mark was just about ready to go home and it wasn’t even past 12 yet.

“I wondered where you’d gotten to.” Lucas’ voice sounded behind him and this time he didn’t try to hold back the shy smile on his lips. He was just grateful to have some company.

“Hey,” Mark said gently, looking up at him, eyes reflecting the lights from inside. He’d stumbled out to the porch, the cold air doing wonders to the sweat sticking his clothes to his body. If he was lucky enough, he’d catch a cold out here and have to skip the next two weeks of class. That was the idea anyway, “Did Taeyong find someone to dance with? He was desperate to dance this evening.” Mark smiled to himself, his head feeling a little lighter, movements all floaty in his vision and maybe his voice had come out a little accusatory, but he wasn’t sober enough to care too much. He took another sip of his drink, regardless.

“Yeah, I think so.” Lucas added, a little disinterested, turning to look at Mark properly, leaning against the porch balustrade, “What brought you out here, anyway?” He asked, curiosity in those big puppy-dog eyes that had Mark melting all too quickly. He shouldn’t have drunk whatever Jungwoo had last given him, he was going to end up sharing secrets.

“Oh, I don’t really fit in around here.” Mark shrugged, looking towards the house again, watching the blur of skin and light and colour. It wasn’t just about parties though and Lucas could tell.

“What makes you think that? I saw you with Jungwoo and the other Alphas, you seemed to entertain them just fine.” Lucas said encouragingly, nodding towards the others inside and fishing around in his jacket pocket.

“Yeah, well, it’s harder with the Omegas.” Mark said with a shrug, looking up at the sound of a lighter clicking, Lucas’ face momentarily lit up with the flame. They were quiet for a moment as Lucas inhaled, holding the joint to Mark who hesitated.

“It’s just Mary Jane.” Lucas said, tapping the ash over the side of the balustrade, “You don’t have to.” He added gently and Mark almost wanted to smile. He’d tried weed before- that wasn’t the problem here- the problem was that he was already drunk and he wasn’t sure if it was the best idea to be high at the same time after being lectured to ‘be careful’ tonight.

“I don’t know if it’ll be enough to go back to that house just drunk. Maybe this’ll help.” He took the joint from Lucas, taking a hit and closing his eyes as he breathed out slowly. He could feel Lucas’ gaze on him, but he was pissed enough not to care and Lucas didn’t seem threatening. 

“So? Feel like talking yet?” Lucas asked, taking the spliff back with a smirk on his lips. Mark considered it before leaning his face in the palm of his hand, thoughtfully,

“There’s not much to say. I thought I’d be an Alpha, I turned out as an Omega.” He tried to sound non-complacent about it, but his scent was just a little bitter, a little sour to Lucas and it made him think there was more to it than that. 

“That doesn’t sound like ‘not much to say’.” Lucas smirked, handing him the spliff again and watching him take a drag, “You knew you were going to present, just not as an Omega? I can’t imagine that.” He shook his head, Mark looking up at him.

“I don’t know anything about Omegas, I don’t know how to act or how to dress or walk. I don’t know whether I have to address Alphas differently or control my scent. God, I only learnt a bit about Heats  _ today _ . I know nothing, Lucas,  _ nothing! _ ” Mark took a second drag before Lucas could take the joint back from him again, stepping closer this time. They were quiet for a moment whilst Mark calmed down, Lucas thinking about where to start with his response. 

“Well, tell me what you know about Alphas and I’ll try and give you the Omega version. I can’t help much, but my older sister’s an Omega, so maybe I can help.” Lucas toed at some debris on the porch, sliding down to sit and beckoning Mark to sit beside him. 

“Everything, I know  _ everything _ about Alphas. I learnt about Ruts and knots and mating with Omegas. I never learnt about what happens in Heat.” Mark flushed, a little embarrassed, but Lucas didn’t seem bothered. 

“You never got curious? Researched it?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow as a plume of smoke left his lips. Mark shook his head,

“I know there’s slick and stuff, but that’s about it. Even my parents thought I’d be an Alpha, I was never prepared for any of this.” He tipped his head back, staring blankly at the porch ceiling. 

“Well, we’re not that different, really. Alphas are just a little more… headstrong. I had my first Rut last week, it was weird.” Lucas said absentmindedly, tapping the ash off the end of the joint. 

“Oh yeah? I bet you had the time of your life, how am I supposed to even go about Heats when I just feel like- when I just want to-” He stuttered, not knowing whether or not to hold his tongue, but Lucas was laughing, finishing for him. 

“When you just want to get your dick wet? Yeah, don’t worry about it, I’m no prude.” He joked lightly, watching Mark’s expression change from shock to guilt then acceptance, “I heard Heats are better though, harder, but better. They sound a little insatiable, but once you’re sated it’s the best feeling in the world- I mean, I don’t know for sure.” Mark nodded, taking it all in and listening attentively.

“Sicheng said our scents get stronger before and during Heat, he said we had to be careful around Alphas when it’s like that.” Mark said thoughtfully, looking up as a couple stumbled out the front door, falling against one another drunkenly before getting back into the rhythm of their makeout session. 

“Yeah, apparently it’s hard for Alphas to control themselves around the scent, sometimes it can be a Rut trigger.” Lucas followed Mark’s gaze, raising an eyebrow as he seemed hooked on watching the couple, “Is my company not satisfactory?” He teased, Mark whipping his head back to Lucas with a mortified look on his face. 

“N-no I- I mean yes! I just- I got distracted, I’m sorry.” He stuttered guiltily, worrying his lip between his teeth and trying to ignore the way Lucas’ eyes followed the movement. Lucas laughed gently, shaking his head and taking a final hit from the spliff, stubbing it out on the ashtray a few meters away. 

“I’m just messing with you. We should probably go back in, though. You’ll catch your death out here.” He commented, ending the conversation for now, but there was something in Mark’s eyes that made him think it wasn’t a closed topic. Or maybe he was just high. He held the door for Mark as they went back in, the warmth wrapping around them as they continued to the kitchen, “Another drink?” Lucas asked, noticing how Mark looked a little more relaxed than before. 

“Yeah, why not.” He replied, watching Lucas retreat towards the kitchen as he wandered around the first floor, spotting Taeyong and Sicheng dancing together in the living room where they’d cleared a space. 

“No-fucking-way.” A voice came from behind him and in that moment Mark wished he’d just stayed outside with Lucas, because he knew that voice all too well. 

“Johnny,” Mark breathed, dragging a smile onto his face and letting the Alpha wrap him up in a tight hug, “It’s good to see you.” 

“I heard there was a Mark here, but I never thought it'd be you!” Johnny said in surprise, taking a proper look at him once they pulled apart, “And an Omega? Really, Mark, we never thought you’d turn out to be an Omega! How did this happen?” Johnny asked, smile wide and unaware that he’d hit a nerve. Mark tried not to let his smile falter. 

“Yeah, it was a surprise to us all.” He said shortly, noticing Jungwoo watching out the corner of his eye and subtly beckoning for him to come over and save him. Jungwoo noticed quickly, Doyoung and Yuta following behind. 

“So, how’ve you been, tell me everything! It’s been so long, I’m sure we’ve got a lot to catch up on.” Johnny said, eyes flicking towards Jungwoo as he approached, confidently sliding a hand around Mark’s waist like he was an old friend even though they’d just met yesterday, “Ah, Jungwoo, it’s good to see you. You must be in the Sorority with Mark, right? What a strange addition it must be for you all.” Johnny hadn’t seemed to see the problem with his words, but Jungwoo suddenly felt a protectiveness flair up in his chest as Mark visibly deflated beside him. 

“A  _ strange _ addition? Sorry, I don’t get what you mean by that.” Jungwoo was acting ignorant, Doyoung had seen it all before- his own little powerplay- but Johnny seemed oblivious as of yet. Mark could hear Jungwoo growling in his chest, territorial, protective.  _ Not _ like an Omega. The hand on his waist tightened. 

“Well, you know what I mean, he’s not like the rest of you. He’s not exactly the type to be all obedient and pliant for an Alpha, is he? I mean just look at him. He’s not quite Alpha  _ or _ Omega- not even a  _ Beta _ .” Johnny said easily, a playful smirk on his face and if Jungwoo could have, he would’ve ripped Johnny’s head off, but before he could get his hands on him Lucas was throwing a mean right hook to Johnny’s jaw, grabbing his collar as he fell back against the doorway, cursing in shock. 

“Say it again, I  _ dare _ you! Say it a- _ fucking _ -gain!” Lucas growled, spat into Johnny’s face and only now had Mark’s head managed to catch up with his eyes, Doyoung holding Jungwoo firmly by the hips to stop him from pouncing Johnny as well. 

“Lucas, it’s- it’s alright, come on.” Mark stepped forward, gently reaching for Lucas’ arm, hesitantly pulling him away from Johnny, “It’s fine, everyone was thinking it anyway.” He added dully, Jungwoo overhearing it and struggling extra hard to get free of Doyoung’s grip.

“Doyoung! Let me go, that fucking bastard is going to get what he deserves when I-” Jungwoo was thrashing in his arms, staring daggers at Johnny as Doyoung continued scenting him to calm him down. 

“Jungwoo, please! Let’s- let’s go and find Kun.” Doyoung said to the others, motioning for Yuta to help Mark drag Lucas away as he picked Jungwoo up over his shoulder, trying to ignore the hushed gasps when Jungwoo flipped Johnny off. 

“Are you okay?” Yuta asked carefully, directing the question at Mark, but Mark wasn’t listening, expecting Lucas to answer him. 

“Mark? Yuta asked if you were okay.” Lucas reiterated, studying Mark’s expression before exchanging a look with Yuta. 

“M-me? Oh, yeah, it’s fine- I’m fine.” He stuttered, letting himself be led to the kitchen where Doyoung had explained the situation to Kun who seemed to be staring at Mark with a worried expression. 

“Go and knock some sense into Johnny right now, or- I swear to God- you’ll never hear the last of it from me.” Kun snapped at Jaehyun and Ten, pushing them towards the living room where a small army seemed to be cooing over Johnny, agreeing with every word he said as he tried to reason himself, make himself the victim. Mark knew it all too well. 

“Mark, do you think you’re ready to go home? We can still hang out at the house, it’s not too late yet.” Doyoung asked, looking at Mark carefully before turning to Lucas and Yuta, then back to Kun. It was strange to think that Mark once valued Johnny’s opinion and maybe somewhere deep down he still did- why else would his words hurt so much?

“Yeah, I’m ready to go.”

Kun crawled into Mark’s bed that night, mumbling that Jungwoo and Doyoung were being too loud in the bedroom next door, but Mark knew it was an excuse to keep him company. He was grateful for it. 

Yangyang stirred uncomfortably, head pounding as he tapped his phone to check the time. 8:47 am. He turned over in his bed, pulling the sheets up over his head as he realised what it was that’d woken him up at this ungodly hour on a Saturday morning with a hangover. Yangyang cursed the wall between his and Sicheng’s room for being so thin, he could just about hear everything that he and the blonde boy from anthropology were doing. He groaned and reached for his headphones, the smell of coffee and greasy fried food distracting him as he decided otherwise, slowly dragging himself out of bed and downstairs. Now, Renjun hadn’t left much of an impression yesterday when he’d walked him upstairs to meet the Omegas, but this Renjun wasn’t the same person he was yesterday evening. 

“Hand me the bacon,” Renjun called over the music, blindly making grabby hands at Kun who was sitting at the breakfast bar with Jungwoo and Doyoung. The thing that surprised Yangyang was that Renjun was dancing, swaying his hips and humming along to the music in his too-big sweater that covered the tops of his thighs. The thing that surprised him even more was that he’d heard Renjun arguing with a Beta boy at the party yesterday. Something didn’t add up. 

“Morning, Yangyang, how did you sleep?” Kun asked brightly, laughing heartily when it was returned with a scowl, “Oh,  _ that _ good, huh?” He teased, beckoning Yangyang over to sit beside him. 

“Is he always like this after a night out?” Yangyang asked, trying his best to keep any judgement out of his voice. 

“I’ve only seen it once or twice, but I’m pretty sure he got in a fight with his ‘not boyfriend’ last night. Hence the mood.” Kun resolved, shrugging uninterested as he drew a heart with his finger in the sugar that’d spilled on the countertop. 

“How’s that a good thing? Surely he should be sleeping in until midday with a playlist called ‘depression’ on at the highest volume.” Yangyang frowned, cocking his head and looking up as Jungwoo giggled into his coffee. 

“That’s what I thought, but he didn’t seem happy when he was with that boy. So I guess it must be a relief to cut him off.” Jungwoo explained, Doyoung leaning his head on his shoulder as he groaned tiredly, taking Jungwoo’s coffee and finishing it off as well as his own. 

“Is- is he okay?” Yangyang asked, confused at the Alpha’s lack of life. Jungwoo looked to Doyoung,

“Oh, him? Yeah, he’s fine, he’s always like this after a night out. He can’t handle his drinks,  _ lightweight _ .” Jungwoo teased, flicking his forehead and scratching his scalp to ease the tension. 

“Don’t tease him, Jungwoo, you can barely handle his dick if the way you’re sitting is anything to go by.” Renjun tutted, sliding two plates of pancakes across the counter and going back to get some more. 

“Injun-ah, say another word and you won’t be the only one unable to handle dick.” Jungwoo spat back, his fork tight in his fist as he went for Renjun’s hand. 

“I’m sure I’d live, I’m good enough with my mouth, Jungwoo.” Renjun winked, placing the second set of pancakes in front of Kun and Yangyang who looked a little surprised at the whole situation. Doyoung tiredly leant over to sling a firm arm round Jungwoo’s waist in a pathetic attempt at holding him back from launching himself across the table, armed with a fork. 

“Play nice.” Doyoung said groggily, shovelling a forkful of bacon into his mouth and groaning in satisfaction, giving Renjun a thumbs up for his cooking. 

“Don’t pretend to like it-!” Jungwoo snapped at him, watching in concern as Doyoung winced and covered his ears. It probably would’ve been funny if Jungwoo hadn’t been in that exact situation before. 

“Mark.” Renjun spoke up, silence ensuing as the group looked up towards the kitchen door, Mark standing hesitantly with Kun’s hoodie on, “I made pancakes. Canadian Maple syrup and everything, although it does say  _ made in Korea _ on the back so I’m not so sure.” Renjun went on with a half-smile. He’d heard enough about what’d happened last night and he knew that being more of a dick would get him nowhere. He was glad he’d ended things with Dongmin, he probably wouldn’t have been so sensitive in this situation if he was still in a shitty mood with him. He had a tendency to take things out on the wrong people at the wrong times. 

“Y-you know I’m Canadian?” Mark asked, Yangyang watching him closely as he sat down beside Renjun who gave up his pancakes and got up to make another batch. 

“Mhm, I study computer programming,” He looked over his shoulder at Mark, a hint of guilt on his face, “I hacked all your files before you arrived. It was easy enough with your student ID’s pinned to our fridge.” He shrugged, tapping an index finger on the list of their names on the fridge. 

“Christ, Renjun!” Jungwoo exclaimed, rolling his eyes as Renjun giggled softly. 

“I’ve got dirt on you too, Jungwoo, there’s no need to be jealous.” Renjun sing-songed, plating the pancakes and sitting back down just in time for Jungwoo to leap across the counter and get Renjun in a headlock as Doyoung gave up holding him back, dropping his head on the counter and groaning. 

And Mark thought that maybe Omegas weren’t as soft and pliant and precious as they seemed. And maybe- just maybe- he  _ did _ belong. 

Mark was by his locker when Jaehyun approached, eyes darting left and right in discomfort and Mark found it strange since they hadn’t even formally met yet. 

“Can I help you?” Mark began, shutting his locker and hiking his books higher up into his arms. He was headed to the library to return some and hopefully get some work done, but Jaehyun looked like he was about to change his plans. 

“Can we talk? Here let me take your books.” Jaehyun looked at him carefully, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth and reaching for the stack of textbooks, but Mark had his guard up. 

“I can manage.” He replied bluntly, turning away and walking down the corridor towards the library, Jaehyun following after like a lost puppy. Mark didn’t want to be around him right now because as far as he could tell- where Johnny went, Jaehyun followed. 

“Then I’ll buy you coffee. After you return your books we can get coffee. I just want to talk.” Jaehyun asked and it was sounding a little like a plea. It was times like these that Mark wished Kun or Jungwoo would appear and chastise Jaehyun for hassling him, but alas, the odds never were in his favour. 

“Fine,” Mark gave in, groaning and staring Jaehyun down as he held the library door for him, “But one foot out of line and I’m calling Kun right away. I don’t know what you two have going on, but he seems to be the only person able to discipline you.” Mark was usually polite to new people, respectful and gentle to acquaintances and since presenting as an Omega it was amplified when he spoke with Alphas. He assumed it was how it was supposed to be, but right now he didn’t care about Jaehyun’s opinion, he didn’t care about his words, because you had to be deaf to have thought that what Johnny had said on Friday night was acceptable. Mark knew that he wasn’t in the wrong about this, it was plain and simple and Jaehyun- without Johnny’s influence- seemed like a good enough person, not great, just good. 

Mark settled across from Jaehyun with his cappuccino, pretending not to notice the way the barista had eyed Jaehyun for far too long when he handed her his credit card. 

“I’m sorry.” Jaehyun said suddenly, Mark looking up at him with wide eyes until he clocked how crestfallen Jaehyun looked, a grim expression as he stared into his Americano. 

“I don’t know what you-” Mark began, frowning a little and looking around as if maybe Jaehyun had sat down at the wrong table and apologised to the wrong boy. Faces must’ve blurred together for him. 

“About Johnny, I’m sorry. I met him four years ago in America, you know. As we kept in touch, he-he never mentioned you, not once.” Jaehyun sighed. Mark swallowed dryly wondering why on earth Jaehyun would tell him something like this, why he felt he needed to. Mark knew how Johnny was, if he hadn’t changed now he doubted he ever would, “He’s not always like that, he just doesn’t think sometimes. He didn’t mean it-”

“He did mean it and I know him, Jaehyun. I don’t need you to come around and clean up his messes, it’s not your job. This apology means nothing to me unless it comes from him, but even then I don’t want to see him. We’re not middle-schoolers anymore, I don’t need him to be my friend- I don’t even  _ want  _ him to be my friend, I just want him to leave me alone.” Mark said softly, anger in his eyes, but he’d managed to keep it from his voice. Jaehyun stared at him, a deep frown between his eyebrows as if he didn’t quite understand it all. 

“I guess you knew him better than me.” Jaehyun said a little guiltily, looking at his hands in his lap before speaking again, “I know you don’t want it, but I still want to apologise-”

“Jaehyun, I presented just over three weeks ago. It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to everyone. I know I don’t look like an Omega, I know I don’t talk or act or  _ seem _ like one, but it’s how things turned out. I guess it hurt so much to hear him say those things because I knew they were  _ true _ and I  _ still _ valued his opinion- but I don’t anymore. He’s not part of my life and he hasn’t been for a long time now, there’s nothing left- he’s no one to me.” Mark shrugged, a lump in his throat from confessing it, but over the weekend he’d slowly come to accept that this was how it was now. Johnny was a thing of Mark’s past and they didn’t need to have a future if it was only going to hurt him. 

“Come on, you don’t mean that,” Jaehyun began, hesitantly reaching across the table to reach for Mark’s hand but he was pulling away, standing and shrugging his coat on, grabbing his bag. 

“Yes, Jaehyun,” Mark said firmly, moving to leave, but not before fixing him with a hard gaze, “Yes, I do.”

Kun looked up from his chemistry textbook. He’d been poring over it for hours, almost tearing his hair out on the kitchen counter as he took down notes, but it was a fruitless attempt anyway. He didn’t know what he was doing. The front door slammed, Kun frowning in confusion. Usually the Omegas called to see who was home when they came in, it was a little strange to just hear a brief rustling before a door closed upstairs, an anxious scent following- Mark. Kun pushed his chair back and pelted up the stairs, breathless as he knocked at Mark’s door. 

“What do you want, Kun?” Mark asked waterily. He was getting good with scents for only his fourth day in the house. Kun sighed, 

“Can I come in?” He asked gently, waiting outside in silence before Mark opened the door reluctantly, keeping his head down so his bangs hid his eyes. Kun could tell something wasn’t right from just his scent. 

“I’m fine, it’s nothing, Kun. I just- I just need to get my head straight.” Mark began rambling, trying his best to keep the tears at bay whilst Kun was here, but he was tilting his head up with a gentle touch, cursing when he saw how broken Mark looked. He didn’t know why he was even crying. It was all said and done and there was nothing left to wallow over. There was nothing to wallow in the first place, Mark was just feeling hormonal. 

“Did you speak to Johnny? What happened? Did he hurt you-?” Kun began rapidly, guiding Mark to his bed and crouching between his thighs, looking up at him anxiously. Mark shook his head, feeling it spin a little wildly, 

“N-no, I’m okay. Jaehyun just- he came and talked to me.” Mark began, but Kun was jumping in, growling in his throat and standing up to pace the room,

“Jesus! I swear, I’ll  _ kill _ him, that good-for-nothing jerk! What happened, Mark? You  _ promise _ he didn’t hurt you?” Kun’s voice was loud now, verging on hysteria as he paced in front of Mark. It was the most predatorial Mark had ever seen an Omega before and part of him found it endearing to know that it was all for him.

“N-no, it’s- he didn’t do anything. I just- he wanted to talk about Johnny. He tried to defend Johnny’s behaviour, but I- I don’t care. I don’t want his apologies, I don’t want his explanations, I don’t- I don’t even want his friendship anymore.” Mark tried to explain, a sob catching in his throat as he tried, and failed, to swallow it. Kun’s eyes flashed angrily before softening as he looked at Mark, kneeling back in front of him with a careful look, holding his hands in his lap. 

“You don’t have to be his friend, don’t even have to look at him if that’s what you want. You did so well, Mark, I’m glad you told Jaehyun how you felt about Johnny. It shouldn’t have been this way, Johnny should’ve done the apologies and you should’ve been able to say those things to his face, but he’s a two-faced piece of shit.” Kun growled, sighing to compose himself and moving to sit beside Mark, “Apart from that, do you feel okay? Your scent is stronger than usual.” He added, resting a hand on Mark’s lower back and tilting his head up with a deep frown.

“I’m- I’m okay, I just feel a little under the weather. I’ll take a nap, I’m sure it’ll pass.” Mark replied dismissively, moving to the bathroom to wash his face, but Kun had a firm grip on his wrist, pulling him into his body as he stood up. 

“Let me just- let me scent you a moment.” He said firmly, burying his face in Mark’s neck as he held him, arms looped around his shoulders and firm on his back. They were quiet for a moment as Kun breathed his scent, smothering Mark with his own and nuzzling his neck, trying not to overstep and make him uncomfortable. He sighed as he finally pulled away, surveying Mark’s expression as he stared wide-eyed up at him. 

“I-I didn’t know it felt like that.” He stuttered, tension having visibly eased from his shoulders, “No one’s ever scented me like that before.” He added under his breath, eyes downcast before he turned to the bathroom, Kun still on his heels as he stopped at the door. 

“Mark?” Kun held his wrist again, eyes big and curious, almost cautious, “I think you need to start preparing for your Heat.”

The first thing Mark thought as he twisted the sheets in his hands, was how they would’ve torn if he’d presented as an Alpha. He’d awoken to a pain in his stomach and an indescribable wetness between his thighs. He was sweating all over- already a shock as it was the middle of winter- and his breaths were coming short. He hastily threw off the sheets, running to the window and throwing it open as wide as it would go, gulping down lungfuls of cold, fresh air, but it did nothing to make him feel better and that was when he was reminded of Kun’s words a few days prior- he was in Heat. He closed his eyes at the realisation, panting and resting his chin on his forearms where he leant on the windowsill. The others would know what to do, he’d be fine-

“Mark? Can I come in?” Mark startled at the voice at his door, shivering when he looked at the digital clock on his bedside table- 3:52 am. 

“I’m- I-” Mark began replying, hands shaking as he made his way to the door. 

“You’re in Heat, I know. I can get Kun if you’d rather-” It was Jungwoo, his voice soft and reassuring behind the door and Mark needed it closer, right in front of him. He pulled the door open, dragging Jungwoo in and shutting it behind him quickly, breathless and shaking as he stared at Jungwoo. He must’ve looked a mess, hair sweaty and matted to his forehead and he didn’t even want to begin to think about which body parts his clothes were sticking to. The room was dimly lit, but Jungwoo could tell how deep he was from just his scent, the shake of his hands as he fiddled with them at his sides and that unprecedented sense of need. He knew what Mark was going through, he knew they needed to talk. 

“What’s- What do I-?” Mark began stuttering, stumbling back into his bed as he gasped softly. Jungwoo pulled his kimono tighter around his shoulders, moving to sit beside Mark and look at him carefully, taking stock of his symptoms before deciding the best course of action. 

“Just breathe for me. Let’s calm down first, then I’ll run you a cold bath and we can go from there.” Jungwoo said smoothly, his voice soothing to Mark’s ears. He nodded, practicing his breathing and closing his eyes in concentration, hands curling back into the sheets again- his lifeline. It was a few moments before he’d calmed down enough for Jungwoo to deem acceptable and by then he was guiding Mark to the en-suite, running an ice bath and wiping his forehead with a damp cloth. 

“Ju-Jungwoo- I don’t know what to do. I didn’t think my H-Heat would come so soon. I’m- I’m not  _ ready _ .” Mark babbled, sitting fully clothed on the edge of the bath as Jungwoo held his hand softly. He was reminded to breathe properly before he was graced with a response, 

“I’m here. I can stay as long as you like- I’ll stay all Heat, if you want.” Jungwoo paused, placing the cloth aside, “But for now, we need to bring your fever down a touch. Can I undress you?” His voice was careful, sensitive as if he was unsure of how Mark would respond. He nodded his permission, however, and Jungwoo seemed pleased, undressing him completely and helping him into the bath. 

“H-Hyung, I- everything feels weird, I’m- I’m scared.” Mark hated showcasing his vulnerabilities, but right now they seemed to just be slipping off his tongue and he couldn’t seem to control it. Jungwoo nodded, helping him settle in the bath and cupping handfuls of cold water over his chest and shoulders to try and cool him. 

“I know, it’s okay, I’m here.” He said gently, brushing his thumb over Mark’s chin to soothe the pout on his lips, “When you woke up, you were wet, right?” He asked, wiping the sweat from his brow again with a worried look on his face. 

“Y-Yeah, it’s- I-  _ ah-! _ ” Mark suddenly cut off, a pained look on his face as he squeezed his eyes shut, body jolting in the water and Jungwoo was moving in a blur now. 

“Okay, shh, you’re okay. Just focus on breathing, I’ll be right back.” Jungwoo pressed the cloth back against his forehead before darting out the room and leaving Mark alone in the bathtub. His chest caved at the idea of being left on his own right now and without warning he felt a sob erupt from his throat, his body prickling uncomfortably with heat.

“H-Hyung! It hurts, it hurts so bad!” Mark called roughly around his sobs and Jungwoo was back in the bathroom in an instant, cradling his face and nodding his understanding. 

“I know, I know, just five more minutes then we’ll get you into bed.” Jungwoo didn’t know if it’d be five minutes, it was a huge assumption, but he was praying that within five minutes Mark would suddenly have got it up- that’d be their cue to move back to bed, “I need you to look at me, keep your eyes open. I’m going to help you, but you need to stay with me.” He knew that a lot of young Omegas had trouble staying lucid at times like these, especially when they were experiencing Heat for the first time. Mark blinked slowly, lolling his head to the side to stare up at Jungwoo. Everything felt too much. 

“Please, Hyung, I- I need-” He began, cutting off pathetically as he was slowly drained of energy.  _ What did he need? _ In that half-lucid moment he realised just how much of an Omega he sounded and he didn’t doubt that it’d worsen. Jungwoo nodded, sighing quietly and stroking his hair, eyes darting down his body and back up to his face before he pulled his phone from his pocket and began calling someone. 

_ “Woo-ah? Are you okay, baby? What’s going on?”  _ Mark listened carefully to Doyoung’s sleepy voice through the receiver. Jungwoo held his gaze. 

“Hey, I’m fine, Mark just went into Heat. Can you handle my schedule? I think I’m going to need to stay with him- five days will do, he doesn’t look like he’ll go too deep for his first time.” Jungwoo explained slowly, looking carefully down at Mark as he explained everything to Doyoung. 

_ “Poor thing. Do you need anything else? I’m going downtown later in case he needs anything?”  _ Doyoung said quietly, his voice dropping a few tones as to let Jungwoo catch on to what he meant. He hummed for a moment,

“We have the assigned things, but if you don’t mind- actually I’ll just text it to you.” Jungwoo decided otherwise, noticing the embarrassed tint of red on Mark’s face as he looked up at him desperately. 

_ “Sure thing. I’ll pick up some candy as well, I know how you get after Heat, maybe he’ll be the same.”  _ Doyoung teased, ending their call shortly after, Jungwoo oblivious to Mark’s unconscious state. 

“ _ Fuck _ ! Mark, Hey, baby, I need you to wake up. Open your eyes for me, come on, baby.” Jungwoo tried to coax, draining the bath water and gently moving Mark into a half sitting position, “Come on, Minhyung-ah, stay with me. Open your eyes…” Mark could hear him, could practically feel the heat of the words on his skin, but everything felt too heavy and Jungwoo’s voice seemed far away, distant from his place in the bathtub. He wanted to open his eyes and tell Jungwoo he was okay, but a sudden wave of Heat took him under and everything around him seemed to fade as visions of a faceless Alpha with a musky scent began trailing his hands down his body, pressing gentle, wet kisses along his collarbone and suddenly Mark couldn’t remember where he even was. 

When he awoke, he remembered three main factors to his dream: someone gently spreading the slick between his thighs, the euphoria when just a single digit pressed into him and the faceless Alpha telling him to hold still and relax and be a good boy for him. And Mark remembered how easy it was to do just that. Jungwoo was asleep beside him in his bed, his phone clutched tightly in his hand and Mark was reminded of their call with Doyoung. He tried to sit up and move to the window, noticing the harsh light of sun peeking from the edges of the blind, but he was stopped by the sudden wet feeling between his thighs. Again. He took a shaky breath, pulling the sheets back to see himself dressed only in a pair of drenched, grey boxers. This wasn’t how he’d expected this all to go. 

“Mark?” Jungwoo hummed, shifting beside him and rubbing his eyes before he sat up in front of him, gaze soft and careful, “How do you feel? Doyoung will be here soon with some things and then I’ll help you properly.” He smiled shyly, placing his phone aside and shuffling closer to Mark. 

“I’m so- I’m uncomfortable.” He said shortly, Jungwoo catching on immediately as he pushed the sheets to the end of the bed, moving to sit in front of Mark. 

“Come on, let's get you undressed and we’ll see what we can do.” He said shortly, trailing his fingers across Mark’s lower stomach and waiting for his nod of approval to pull his underwear off. 

“Is- won’t Doyoung be angry?” He suddenly stuttered, underwear halfway down his thighs as he looked up at Jungwoo in panic, but he was laughing softly, shaking his head. 

“Of course not. He said to take care of you, he knows that I’ll help you.” Jungwoo explained, brushing his fringe back from his eyes before continuing with his underwear, tossing them aside and nudging his thighs apart with his thumbs, “There we go, look at you, you’re going to be fine if you keep leaking this much.” Jungwoo said pleased, Mark scrunching his nose and turning his face in embarrassment. He wanted to yell at Jungwoo for putting it so plainly, but it was sort of cute how hard he was trying to keep Mark informed, at ease. He looked down his body, chewing his lip as he noticed the slick reaching down to the inside of his thighs. It felt a whole lot different to how it looked.

“H-how long until- you know.” Mark cut off, not wanting to voice exactly what he was asking, but hoping Jungwoo understood.

“Well, you’re already in Heat, you probably felt some of the effects whilst you were asleep, but physically- I’d give it an hour or so.” He said smoothly, running his hands up the inside of Mark’s thighs, spreading the slick further, “Unless, of course, you feel like starting sooner?” He teased, an encouraging smile on his lips, but Mark was sighing softly, lucid and tuned in for now.

“I- I’m sorry for all this. I don’t know a lot about Heats, I wasn’t prepared for this.” He swallowed, looking to the window to avoid Jungwoo’s gaze. He felt him move off the bed and towards his desk, collecting a box and coming back down to sit opposite him. 

“It’s going to hurt for an hour or so, like before in the bathtub, but after that it’ll feel better.” Jungwoo explained, knowing Mark wouldn’t want to ask and simply explaining without being prompted, “The Sorority provides some basics for Heat, but seeing as this is your first, I asked Doyoung to get some other things as well. Have you ever fingered yourself before?” Jungwoo asked carefully, smiling gently at Mark’s sudden surprised look at him, cheeks flushed and eyes darting down. 

“N-no.” He shook his head, hating how embarrassed he was about all this when he was on the verge of Jungwoo seeing him in his most vulnerable state, “I haven’t really done anything. Just fooled around with a few guys at parties.” He shrugged, trying to make himself more comfortable, but he was distracted by the Heat pooling low in his stomach. He wriggled, feeling another bout of slick trail down between his thighs and he wanted to cover himself with the sheet, but Jungwoo would surely notice. 

“That’s okay, it’s just going to feel a little strange at first. You’re probably going to beg for something to be inside you in about a half hour, so don’t feel embarrassed.” Jungwoo smiled, opening the box between them to reveal three different sized dildos, clear silicone staring back at him a little dauntingly, “We’ll start small of course, work it up until you’re satisfied, but it’s not- it won’t be an easy week. It’s hard to say whether or not you’ll remember a lot, but I don’t remember a lot from my first Heat- just snippets, like a badly put together dream. I won’t tease you about it, I won’t mention it to anyone else and whatever goes on in Heat stays in Heat. So don’t feel like you have to hold back, it’ll only hurt you more and lengthen the Heat for you.” He looked up as his phone buzzed on the nightstand, reaching for it and answering quickly in hushed tones as he held up a finger to Mark and left the room quickly. Mark was left staring at the dildos in the box, oblivious to the way his body was reacting at just the thought of having them inside him. He ground his hips into the mattress, spreading slick over the sheets and roughly grinding into his pillow as he stared. He tried his best to snap out of it, but there was a distant scent, strong and woody and a little bit musky and it had Mark’s head reeling. He swallowed again, dropping his head with a gasp as he felt another load of slick trickle down between his ass cheeks. He groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut and curling his fists into the sheets, concentrating on the building pleasure in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t like his usual arousal and it was strange to find it the same amount of exciting as it was surprising. The door clicked open quietly, Mark still obliviously rutting against the sheets with his eyes closed, knees parted. 

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re doing good. Keep doing that, I’m here now.” Jungwoo’s voice was soft against his earlobe, but he couldn’t bring himself to answer, couldn’t even open his eyes. He moaned softly, Jungwoo’s scent spiking in surprise and, if Mark concentrated hard enough, he could still smell the remnants of an Alpha’s scent on his collar. 

“ _ Ahh _ , c-can I come?  _ P-please _ , Hyung?” Mark spoke up brokenly after a few minutes, the soaked sheets making a lewd sound beneath him, but all he could think about was his inevitable orgasm and how he  _ just needed to come.  _ Jungwoo was back in front of him, gentle fingers stroking his scent glands and lifting his face up,

“Yes, baby, you did so good. You can come whenever you feel like it.” He coaxed, pressing a short kiss to Mark’s forehead before leaning back on his hands to watch Mark come undone, not a moment later. Jungwoo smiled to himself, Mark was more Omega than he’d let on if he was coming this fast, this early on into Heat. He groaned, hips stuttering as he came on the sheets, quiet moans fizzling from the back of his throat before he fell still. Unsatisfied. Jungwoo watched his expression turn dark as he looked up at him pleadingly, eyes wide and confused before Jungwoo moved forward to smooth the frown lines from his brow with gentle thumbs. 

“I- I want to- why doesn’t it feel-?” Mark began hastily, frustration building in his expression and Jungwoo took pity, nodding slowly before pushing Mark back against the bed and crawling over him 

“You’re not satisfied, are you.” He stated, trailing a hand down the side of Mark’s body, featherlight, “It doesn’t feel good until you come with something inside you that feels close enough to a knot.” Mark stared up at Jungwoo, legs splayed and hands clutching at the pillows under his head as another wave of Heat rippled through him, distracting him from Jungwoo’s explanation. He couldn’t concentrate if he tried. 

“Hyung, I want-” Mark was losing count of the times he’d stopped himself from saying what exactly he wanted. Even  _ he _ wanted to know what his Heat-induced brain thought he wanted. 

“Shh, lay still.” Jungwoo said gently, moving down his body and pressing teasing kisses over Mark’s nipples that felt all too good than ever before, “Do you think you’re ready for me to finger you?” He asked, thumbing at his left nipple as he breathed over the right. Mark hesitated a moment before nodding automatically, need and desperation were clouding his judgement now and it was becoming easier to ignore that voice in his head that told him that this  _ wasn’t _ what he wanted. He almost felt stupid for ever thinking he’d want to be the one in control if it felt this good to lose it. 

“The- the toys, I want the toys.” He begged quietly, not quite registering it as his own voice, but Jungwoo was smiling at him over his stomach now, leaning down to lap at the excess come from his previous orgasm. 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I want it to be good for you, not uncomfortable.” Jungwoo reassured, nudging his thighs apart a little further as he sat between them, “Your Heat’s in control now, Mark. If you want to stop, you’re going to really have to concentrate to override it. Alright?” Jungwoo looked at him carefully, waiting until Mark nodded his understanding fervently. He bucked his hips an inch to get Jungwoo to go on. 

“Just- Just touch me, please?” He asked quietly, chewing on his lip and blushing again before Jungwoo leant forward and trailed his hands over the inside of Mark’s thighs, gathering his slick and coating his fingers generously. 

“Just relax for me and I promise to make it feel good.” Jungwoo went on, sliding his index finger into him slowly, pausing at the second knuckle before bottoming out and smiling devilishly as Mark’s scent hitched, body freezing before relaxing and the Heat suddenly took control. Jungwoo rubbed his thumb over his perineum, trying to calm him down as he shivered, hands clenching into the pillow beneath his head,

“I-  _ ahh!-  _ m-more!” Mark whipped his head to the side, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his hips down to gain friction, but Jungwoo had a firm hold on his waist, keeping him still for now. He tutted at the response, pumping his index finger in and out of Mark slowly, slick coming in gushes over his hand and if he’d forgotten what his first Heat was like, he surely remembered now. He hissed in a breath, curling his finger and holding before pulling out and adding another along with Mark’s incessant whining. 

“Quiet, baby, you’re doing well. I’ll give you something bigger soon, just stick it out a little longer whilst I stretch you.” Jungwoo encouraged, leaning down and pressing a kiss at his navel to try and calm his shaking hips. He groaned in the back of his throat, gasping as Jungwoo curled his fingers just short of his prostate, oblivious as to how Jungwoo was purposefully teasing him. He could feel another orgasm creeping up from the base of his spine, heating his stomach and begging for release embarrassingly quickly. Jungwoo knew he needed to come again and took pity on him by shoving the tips of his fingers directly against Mark’s prostate, watching in awe as Mark grabbed his cock and came almost instantly with a loud cry. 

“Hyung-!  _ H-Hyung-Ah _ !” His orgasm did nothing for the Heat, hips still bucking uncomfortably as he rode it out, Jungwoo’s fingers pummeling inside him with force before Mark began gasping and reaching down to grab at Jungwoo’s hand to stop himself sobbing from overstimulation. He hiccuped, gasping as he looked down at Jungwoo through dazed, half-lidded eyes, already desperate for more and frustrated with the unsatisfied sensation. 

“I know, I know.” Jungwoo spoke before Mark could even get his thoughts together to tell him how uncomfortable he was. He was hard and horny and so incredibly wet and however much he came, nothing felt good enough. He was still hard after releasing spectacularly over his stomach- this wasn’t how he’d expected Heat to go, “Can you flip over for me, get on your hands and knees?” Jungwoo asked gently, running a soothing hand up his thigh and massaging the toned muscle. Mark took a moment to catch his breath, shivering and nodding slowly before he pulled himself onto his front, propped up on his forearms with his ass up. He’d never felt this vulnerable, but he’d also never cared less about it all, he just wanted  _ something _ . He couldn’t quite place what exactly he wanted, but he needed it like he needed air in his lungs. He whined when Jungwoo pressed three fingers inside him, slow and steady and stretching him so perfectly, but he still wanted more.  _ God _ , he wanted to be wrecked and fingered roughly until he was crying, his hair mussed from being tugged on and his lips slick with saliva from drooling too much. He wanted to be fucked out. He wanted an  _ Alpha _ . He wanted- he wanted a  _ knot _ . He cried out at the realisation in his hazy brain, he was an Omega- a dumb, needy pup who just wanted to be knotted and stretched out, full, until he felt satisfied. In his delirious Heat-addled state, the visions began to swim before his eyes like last night and one thing was suddenly very clear to him- it wasn’t just one Alpha he wanted right now, it was two and- and a Beta, but they were no longer faceless like Sicheng had once said. 

Kun knocked a few hours later to bring Jungwoo his dinner and take over from where Mark had passed out after a particularly mind-numbing orgasm. There was still an average sized dildo stuffed inside him and the room was drenched with the smell of Heat- it made Kun stumble back. 

“Is he alright?” Kun greeted Jungwoo with a soft kiss to his forehead as he noted how exhausted he looked. 

“Mh, he just had a bit of an identity crisis earlier, but he should be fine when he wakes up. Do you know a ‘Hyuck’? He kept calling for him, it was strange, normally Omegas ask for a- an Alpha, for a knot, but he talked like Hyuck was a Beta. I mean, it’s fine, I’m just surprised he was conscious enough to identify people. I can barely do that unless Doyoung is with me.” Jungwoo said wearily, rubbing his eyes in fists and not noticing Kun’s frown. 

“It’s strange.” He sighed a moment before turning to Mark, moving to sit on the corner of his bed, lay a hand on his forehead and scent glands to check his temperature, “Go and have dinner and take a break with Doyoung. I’ve got it from here, he’s out for the count for now.” Kun smiled up at him, waving him out of the door and turning back to Mark as it clicked shut behind him. Mark had unravelled a fair few questions in Kun’s mind since his arrival at the Sorority, but one thing was clear- Mark wasn’t one to  _ be _ questioned. Scientifically, Kun knew that there was some sort of hormonal imbalance that might’ve forced the name out of Mark’s throat- a memory that urged him to call out for a Beta, or maybe he simply didn’t know this ‘Hyuck’ anymore and hadn’t been around long enough to see him present, but Kun also knew the emotional side of things. He knew that feelings could cloud a person’s judgement and that science could easily be thrown aside in times like these. Mark was unpredictable and emotional and staring down at him in bed made him realise that he really was just as innocent and untouched as the next newly-presented Omega. He sighed, running his fingers through Mark’s tangled hair as he stirred in his sleep, mumbling something in broken English as he ground his hips against the pillow between his thighs. 

“P-please, Yukhei,  _ please. _ ” Mark suddenly mumbled sleepily, Kun gasping in surprise before reaching for his phone and texting Jungwoo. 

_ It wasn’t Hyuck. It was Yukhei. Get Doyoung to check Lucas. Now.  _

The response came a few moments later, Kun swallowing in confusion.

_ Lucas went back into Rut, Doie thinks it’s stress-induced. What’s worse is that Johnny’s in Rut too. He’s been calling Mark’s name. _

Kun had Mark in his arms, riding a dildo when Doyoung called. Mark hadn’t seemed concerned when Kun had answered, simply continuing to bounce on the dildo enthusiastically, desperately trying to chase his orgasm. 

“ _ Kunnie? Are you okay? _ ” Doyoung’s voice came through the receiver, soft sounds in the background before a door clicked shut and there was silence. 

“Yeah, Mark’s doing well. How are the others? Is Jungwoo okay? He seemed a little out of it when I took over.” Kun said softly, shushing Mark as he begged for more, nipping temptingly at Kun’s neck in an attempt at getting his attention. 

“ _ He’s- he’s alright, I took care of him, but he’s in one of the worst sub-drops I've seen from him before. He’s sleeping now, but I can’t keep him here long with the Alphas in Rut. Do you think I could come home with him?”  _ Doyoung asked hesitantly, chewing his lip as he waited for Kun’s response, pleas and desperate whines filling the silence. 

“Of course, I’m with Mark now so it should be fine. It’s safer that he’s here than there.” Kun replied, groaning softly as Mark began palming him through his sweats in a new attempt at getting his full attention, “ _ Mark, no, Come on, baby _ \- Look, Doyoung, I need to go, but you can stay here with Jungwoo, just get one of the others to keep me updated on the Alphas. I’m not usually interested in their Ruts, but something's up.” He sighed, moving Mark onto his back as his thighs began to shake from weariness. He slid the phone between his shoulder and chin, taking hold of the dildo and thrusting it inside Mark until he cried recklessly, uncaring of the noise he was making and Doyoung was chuckling through the receiver and wishing Kun luck as he ended the call. 

Jungwoo awoke in his own bed, Doyoung sleeping peacefully beside him, nose pressed into his hair. He blinked at the setting sun with a groan, knowing he’d ruined his sleep pattern, but also knowing that it didn’t matter because he had Doyoung here and that meant he didn’t need to worry about anything. 

“Hyung?” He turned towards Doyoung, calling him softly until he shifted and finally roused from sleep, eyes half-lidded.

“Hey, baby, you’re awake?” Doyoung asked, voice croaky from sleep and disuse and Jungwoo couldn’t help but find it a bit sexy. He trailed a hand up Doyoung’s sweatpants, grasping at the drawstrings and tangling them between his fingers to distract himself from the sudden submissive feeling that’d pooled in his stomach again from Doyoung’s voice. He was a weak man. 

“Mh,” He hummed in response, shuffling closer, but Doyoung had already caught on, “I just- I’m glad you’re with me.” Jungwoo added shyly, a little smile on his lips. 

“You weren’t safe in the Fraternity so I brought you home. Kun says I can stay for now, you dropped pretty bad earlier.” Doyoung said carefully, biting his lip and sneaking a hand around his waist to slide under his shirt and rest innocently on the small of his back. Jungwoo didn’t seem to think that, but Doyoung really did just have innocent intentions. 

“O-oh,” He breathed a sigh as he remembered crying in Doyoung’s arms back at the Fraternity, “I didn’t know I’d- you’ll stay with me though, right?” A hint of insecurity underlay Jungwoo’s voice and it hurt Doyoung’s heart to hear, but he nodded immediately, eager to reassure him. 

“I’ll stay as long as you like. Do you want anything?” Doyoung asked gently, eyes wide and soft, waiting patiently for an answer. Jungwoo bit his lip and looked away,

“Just- just you for now. I’m still a little bit drained from earlier.” Jungwoo said quietly, smiling to himself at their stupid ritual of Doyoung eating him out whenever he finished recovering from his drop. It was like a reward and honestly, Jungwoo couldn’t really think of anything better, although crying and then coming three consecutive times did take the fight out of you for a few hours. 

“Of course, I’m here, baby.”

Lucas knocked hesitantly at the Sorority door two days after his Rut had subsided. He didn’t really know why he was here, just knew that he had to see Mark, but as Kun swung the door open he lost the ability to speak. Kun watched with a raised eyebrow as Lucas stood in the doorway, opening and closing his mouth before Kun came to his sorry rescue,

“You want to see Mark?” He asked with a careful smile, cocking his head in question as he crossed his arms over his chest. Lucas noticed how exhausted Kun looked and mentally cursed himself out for coming so soon after Mark had finished Heat- he was probably in no state to see him yet. 

“Is he- is he okay?” Lucas asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stayed rooted on the porch in the cold winter air. Kun smirked, finally beckoning him in and smiling knowingly. 

“Not really, but he’s up. It’s been a tough few days, but I think you two need to talk.” Kun nudged him towards the stairs, “Oh, and, Lucas? Be gentle with him, I’m not expecting it to get that far, but he's exhausted and sore and this was his first Heat. Just- just tread carefully and call if you need me.” He nodded at Kun in understanding, watching as he retreated to the kitchen before making his way upstairs to Mark’s room. He knocked twice, waiting before he pressed inside without an answer. The room was drafty when he opened the door, fresh linen and vanilla there to clear the air of the lingering Heat scent. Lucas almost wondered if he should’ve waited a few more days, because the scent was getting to him just a bit. He scanned the room, fresh sheets made on the double bed and the en-suite clearly fogged from a recent shower. Lucas stepped closer to the other side of the room, noticing the sheer drapes dancing gently in the wind from the French doors. 

“Mark?” Lucas called quietly, moving towards the small balcony where the French doors opened out onto. It was barely a balcony, enough for a few potted plants and a chair if you were really ambitious, but Mark didn’t seem to be the ambitious type as he sat on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest and face hidden in his forearms, “Minhyung-ah?” Lucas called again, hesitant and worried as if he were scared to wake a sleeping lion, but Mark simply hiccuped, sniffing into his arms and looking up finally as Lucas moved to sit beside him on the balcony, long limbs folded uncomfortably. 

“Did Kun send you?” Mark asked stiffly, his voice broken from crying and now that Lucas looked at him he could see how red his eyes were, cheeks flushed from hiding his face in his arms. Lucas shook his head, wanting to reach out to Mark, but his hand fell short, afraid to approach him so soon after Heat. 

“I came to see you. Kun said it was okay.” Lucas explained dumbly. He wanted to hold Mark, ask him why he was crying and kiss his tears away, but Mark had his guards up, staring wistfully out onto the Sorority grounds, “You’ll get sick without a jacket. Let’s go inside and talk.” Lucas said, moving to get up from the balcony, but Mark didn’t follow, simply stared blankly out onto the moor in the distance. Lucas stood watching him for a moment before bending down and reaching out his hand, an offer, not a request. 

“Kun told me, you know. I would’ve forgotten, but he told me.” Mark said, still lost in his thoughts, staring ahead and Lucas wanted to shake him out of his reverie, but he couldn’t bring himself to even touch him, “He told me how I called for you in Heat.” Lucas swallowed dryly. He hadn’t known that. Mark looked at him, finally, reading his expression and blinking slowly.

“Things like this happen, Mark, I’m not upset.” Lucas said quietly, hand reaching up to cup Mark’s face, but he fell short. Yet again. Mark sighed in aggravation, dropping his eyes before looking back up at Lucas with a glossy gaze,

“Why won’t you touch me? Why won’t you even  _ touch me?  _ I’m sick of people treating me like glass! I was never supposed to be an Omega, Yukhei, I don’t know why you treat me like one!” Mark snapped, getting up and pushing Lucas away, but he was quick on his toes, grabbing Mark’s wrist and spinning him back around, holding him to his chest, hugging him close. Lucas could smell the remnants of Heat a lot stronger like this, but he stayed restrained, panicking as Mark froze up in his arms before relaxing and sliding his arms around his waist, sobbing quietly into his chest. 

“You’re an Omega, Mark. It’s out of instinct that I treat you like this, it’s not because you’re any less than me, it’s because- because I care about you. I do it  _ because _ you’re an Omega.” Lucas said quietly, letting Mark sniff into his shirt, clutch pathetically onto his jacket and sob recklessly until Lucas guided them back to his bed and held him closely, Mark half on his lap. 

“I’m- I don’t know how! I don’t know how to be an Omega, Lucas!” Mark choked roughly on a sob, slowly pulling back from Lucas’ shoulder and staring him right in the face, eyes dark and hollowed like he’d seen something he shouldn’t have, “Yukhei, you don’t understand. I could- what if I get pregnant?” The thought had crossed his mind when he was outside earlier, but now there was an Alpha here, an Alpha that could take his virginity and knot him and  _ impregnate _ him. He knew Lucas wouldn’t, but the thought terrified him. He wasn’t supposed to carry a child, not now, not  _ ever _ . 

“Mark, hey, let's just breathe.” Lucas exaggerated his breaths for Mark to follow, soothing him before he started hyperventilating, “Look, I know it’s scary, I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re thinking right now, but you’re not alone. Not anymore. You’ve got the Sorority and all of us next door and your Beta friends- nothing bad will happen and if you don’t want kids then we don’t need to think about that now or  _ ever _ . You’re in control of things, baby, you get to choose what happens.” Lucas said softly, rubbing circles into Mark’s back and letting him climb over his hips, hide his face in his neck. 

“I don’t know what I want.” Mark mumbled quietly into Lucas’ shoulder, not even sure he was talking about kids anymore. He rubbed his cheek gently against Lucas’ neck, unknowingly leaving his scent on him. Lucas let him for now, he could handle the teasing from the Alphas when he went back to the Fraternity later. 

“That’s okay, you don’t have to choose now. We can just stay like this until you feel better, how does that sound?” Lucas said into his neck, the sound of the bedroom door clicking open behind them as Kun came in hesitantly, face softening as he met Mark’s eyes over Lucas’ shoulder. He came closer towards them, having heard a fair bit of Mark’s distress from the corridor. 

“Mark? Do you want to talk?” Kun asked softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at his blank expression carefully. Mark knew he was being stupid, he knew Omegas could get pregnant, he knew he had some decisions to start making, _he_ _wasn’t even pregnant,_ there was nothing to worry about- but the sudden realisation that _he_ could carry a child, _he_ could nurse a child- it felt like a punch in the gut. _He_ was an Omega. _He was an Omega._

“I’m- I can’t-” He stuttered, Lucas moving him onto the bed as Kun pulled his shirt off, reaching for the night sweater, but Mark was distracted, staring at his flat stomach with an expression akin to betrayal.  _ How could his own body betray him like this? _

“Mark, I need you to breathe. Here, look at me.” Kun’s voice seemed all too far away, but his scent was right in front of him, eyes unfocused on the older Omega’s face. Everything felt twisted, muffled like he was underwater, his heartbeat staccato, loud in his ears. This wasn’t like anything he’d ever felt before. There wasn’t much else before his vision blacked out and he felt a cool hand on his forehead, skin prickling with the touch. Then, silence. 

Kun let himself into the Fraternity after a long night of calming Mark down enough to finally leave him in Lucas’ arms. He trusted him. 

“Can I help you?” Kun looked up at the voice, groaning in annoyance, only fuelled by his lack of sleep. He came face to face with Johnny in the hallway, arms crossed over his chest, a cocky grin on his lips as he leant against the doorframe, but Kun was simply not in the mood. Not one damn bit. 

“Go fuck yourself, Johnny.” He spat out, pushing past him towards Jaehyun’s room.

“He’s not in.” Johnny said smoothly, walking a little closer, “He has class, but I thought you’d know his schedule by now.” Kun growled in his chest, pulling out his phone and tapping on Jaehyun’s contact, calling him, foot tapping impatiently.

“Why should I? He’s not my boyfriend. Besides, you’re in the  _ same damn class _ , so why are you here and not far away from me like you should be?” He was being petty and he knew it, but he just wanted Jaehyun. He wanted to curl up in his arms and watch trash TV as they ate takeout that Jaehyun had stolen Ten’s credit card for. He was exhausted and he just wanted to be held- he wanted  _ Jaehyun _ to hold him. His call rang to the answerphone and Kun visibly deflated. He wanted to cry. 

“I was in Rut, remember? I heard you were  _ oh-so _ interested to hear about my tendencies, but it’d be politer to just come and ask me next time.” Johnny went on, pushing Kun right to the brink of insanity before he shook his head in defeat, dragging himself down the hallway and into Jaehyun’s room, slamming the door behind him and burying his face into Jaehyun’s sheets before letting himself cry. 

Jaehyun met Johnny in the kitchen when he came in that evening, tossing his notes in Johnny’s direction before grabbing his microwave dinner and making his way upstairs. 

“Oh, Jae? There’s a bundle of pure-fucking-joy in your room, by the way.” Johnny called, sarcasm dripping from his voice and Jaehyun knew that the only people able to rile Johnny up that much would either be Jungwoo or Kun and he was willing to bet it wasn’t the former. 

“Baby?” Jaehyun pushed the door open with his hip, kicking it shut behind him and smiling as he noticed the mess of bleached hair peeking out from between his sheets, “I’m home.” He said softly, placing his meal on his desk alongside his satchel and coat. Kun sleepily murmured something into the pillows before he turned over to scan the room for Jaehyun. 

“Hey,” He said croakily, sitting up and reaching for him, one hand still gripping the pillow as if he was afraid Jaehyun might take it away, deprive him of his scent, “I tried calling you.” He explained, but Jaehyun was smiling softly, moving to sit beside him with a gentle hand on his thigh. He leant in, cradling the back of his neck as he pulled the Omega into a slow kiss, not pulling back for a while. 

“I’m sorry, I had to get Johnny’s extra notes after class. I’m here now.” Jaehyun said softly, kissing him again and pulling back a moment when Kun groaned in annoyance. 

“Don’t bring him up, I’ll end up losing my shit again if I hear that- godforsaken- name again today.” Kun dropped his head forward, leaning his forehead on Jaehyun’s shoulder and letting him play with the scrawny lengths of hair at the nape of his neck. He was in desperate need of a haircut. 

“Okay, let's talk about something different then. Did you eat yet?” Jaehyun laughed a little, pulling Kun back and cradling his face to look at his hollowed cheeks, bloodshot eyes and shaky fingers. He could tell that he hadn’t eaten for a while now. 

“I’m not hungry.” He answered pathetically but Jaehyun was scoffing, pressing a kiss to his forehead and reaching for his phone.

“Yes, you are.” Jaehyun answered for him, tapping open a delivery app, “Hm, you want Chinese, right?” Jaehyun made a more-than-educated guess, thumb running soothingly back and forth over the bare skin of his neck. Kun wanted to cry in relief because Jaehyun knew him all too well that he didn’t even need to speak, it was stupid, but he was grateful. He nodded, leaning his cheek on Jae’s shoulder now, scenting him from that angle, not really enough to be regarded as scenting. 

“I missed you.” Kun mumbled under his breath, absentmindedly, as he watched Jaehyun proceed to the checkout tab, “I wanted you so bad earlier.” And the softness in his voice made Jaehyun realise that this wasn’t quite the same ‘want’ as their usual. This ‘want’ was soft around the edges, fleeting touches and gentle caresses, all soothing and too good to be true. He usually wanted Jaehyun in a much different way. That ‘want’ was hard and fast and had Kun sore for days after, begging to be filled again and again and even when he couldn’t take any more, Jaehyun pushed him one step further. 

“I’m here, baby, you can stay with me as long as you want.” Jaehyun soothed, finishing the order and tossing his phone aside to pull Kun into his lap, “I’m sorry I made you wait. You really did need me, huh?” Jaehyun questioned gently, his usual teasing void from his voice as Kun nuzzled his neck, nosing at his scent gland with a groan, inhaling deeply. Jaehyun let him, hands grounding on his waist as he straddled Jaehyun’s thighs, fingers curled into his blazer and running over his chest through the fabric of his shirt. 

“You know I need you in more ways than just sex. Don’t act ignorant, we’re not in the same place as we were when we started this. I know you see it too.” Kun added, licking a stripe up his neck before continuing his nuzzling and scenting, covering himself in the Alpha’s pheromone like a thick blanket. Jaehyun was quiet for a moment, massaging Kun’s waist and hips in big hands before he slid them up under his shirt,

“I know, baby, we’re not the same as before.” Jaehyun said carefully, not wanting to ruin whatever silent agreement they’d made. Kun pulled back, looking at him carefully and cradling his face in gentle, hesitant fingers,

“Jae? I-I want you- all of you. I want to be the only person you touch and fuck and kiss- I want to be the only one, Jaehyun. I want you to want me.” Kun flushed, fingers shaking a little harder where he held the lapels of Jaehyun’s blazer in his hands. Jaehyun was quiet for what seemed like an eternity and Kun was dead-set on taking it all back and telling him it was a stupid idea, that they’d never be more than fuckbuddies, but it was obvious. It was obvious they were more than that. It’d been that way for a long time. Jaehyun’s fingers paused the gentle circles he was rubbing into Kun’s back under his shirt. Kun froze, panic creeping into his chest before Jaehyun spoke,

“I’ve been waiting for you to say that for so long now.”

Doyoung tried his best to get ready for class as quietly as he possibly could, knowing that Yuta and Taeil were probably already waiting downstairs. Jungwoo was still in dreamland, peaceful breaths coming short against his pillow as he nearly suffocated himself with the blanket. Doyoung made sure to pull it back down away from his face, kiss his head before leaving quietly. 

“At last, we’re late!” Yuta’s voice greeted him at the bottom of the staircase, Taeil at his side, talking softly with Sicheng who seemed to be a little underdressed if those were his nightclothes. But then again, this wasn’t Doyoung’s house, therefore he couldn’t judge. 

“You know how Jungwoo gets.” Doyoung smirked, shrugging and pulling his satchel over his shoulder, “Ready?” He called to Taeil as Yuta handed him his coffee. Sicheng joined them, smiling bashfully into his mug before clearing his throat to control his expression. 

“I know Alphas run a little warmer than us, but surely you need a jacket?” Sicheng looked to Yuta who was in a thick hoodie with no coat. Taeil and Doyoung were both wrapped up in padded coats and scarves, it was that sort of weather. 

“My Rut is soon, I’m not likely to get too cold. Besides our lecture halls are in the new building across campus and they always whack up the heating.” Yuta shrugged, smiling softly, as he reached forward to place a hand over the mug Sicheng held, proving his body warmth. 

“Don’t get sick.” Sicheng nodded, curling his fingers around Yuta’s before letting them go, Taeil and Doyoung sharing a look before leaving the Sorority quickly. The door shut behind them and the three Alphas were silent for a moment as they began their walk across campus. 

“What the hell is going on?” Taeil said the same time as Doyoung spoke,

“Did I miss something?” Yuta looked between them, confused. 

“What do you mean?” He asked cluelessly, sipping his coffee as they turned off the main pathway to cut through the sports field. Taeil narrowed his eyes, but let Doyoung go on,

“Since when have you and Sicheng been close? I didn’t think you knew him that well.” He asked carefully, looking at Yuta curiously to try and gauge his expression, but he wasn’t letting on. 

“Oh, you know, we message a lot. Our classes sometimes end around the same time so we get lunch together.” Yuta shrugged it off, an unreadable smile on his face and Taeil didn’t like that. He chewed on his lip, keeping quiet and controlling his scent for now, it was better to just let things run their course. 

“You get lunch together? Oh, so you’re pretty close, huh?” Doyoung teased, nudging Yuta with his elbow, “I don’t know what your intentions are with him, but be careful. Jungwoo says he isn’t one to be held down.” Doyoung went on, thinking back to the times Jungwoo would message him late at night to ask to come over because Sicheng was being too loud with his ‘bedroom-friend’- as Jungwoo called it. 

“Yeah, he always says he doesn’t  _ ‘do’ _ feelings. I guess we’ll see.” Yuta said carefully and Doyoung could read that expression, it was one he’d possessed before- determination. Taeil stayed quiet, burying his face deeper into his scarf. Some things were better left unsaid. 

The snow started to fall as the semester fell into step, temperature dropping incredulously and for once they seemed to welcome Heats and Ruts to warm them up. Kun spent an abundance more time with Jaehyun, their belongings mixing into each other’s bedrooms until they couldn’t tell which house was home. Mark was doing better since Heat, slowly but surely accepting his orientation in his own way, his own time and Kun and Hendery were good advocates for his sanity. Lucas was also a great help, sitting on the balcony with him as he stared off into space or bringing him pastries from the bakery on the way back from class. Mark liked the maple & pecan plaits best and Lucas seemed to take note of it. Johnny was the same as always and Lucas had taken to avoiding him at all costs, half because he still wanted to punch him and half because he didn’t want even a hint of his scent on him when he went to visit Mark. 

Then there was Taeil. Taeil was a good Alpha. He did things traditionally, or- well he tried. He was the top of his ethics class, took enough extra credits to keep him  _ and Yuta _ afloat and- most of the time- he was on top of his studies. He was  _ good _ , see? But all things  _ good _ came with their setbacks, like how carbs make you fat or candy makes your teeth rot or developing feelings for your best friend even though you were just supposed to be helping them through Rut. Yes, some were worse than others- god forbid his teeth rot- but feelings were nothing. He had feelings for lots of people- he had a lot of feelings, it was only fair- he just hadn’t expected them to be  _ felt _ at Yuta. He could barely remember how it’d all even started, just remembered a hazy night with Yuta in his bed back when they were friends- friends who didn’t fuck, mind you- when Taeil  _ stupidly _ mentioned how bad Ruts could get for him. His Ruts were worse than other Alphas, he’d even seen a doctor and everything, but there wasn’t anyone he’d share them with at that time and he definitely didn’t want to go to a club every season to pick up a new Omega. He was good, a  _ good _ Alpha, remember? He recalled Yuta smirking at him in the darkness, crawling over his body to brush his hair from his face with that sinful smile as he mumbled those words that Taeil had sworn himself to never forget,  _ Well, I’m not an Omega, but you can fuck me like one. I’m sure you’d do the same for me during my Rut, right? What do you say, I scratch your back, you scratch mine? _

Everything after that hadn’t really been of importance, but if he really thought about the last year or so, he could conjure a few memories of Yuta with his face pressed into the pillows as Taeil took him from behind or the odd flashback of himself riding Yuta until he was sobbing and falling forward into his chest. He didn’t like to think about it all too much, he didn’t like that it was out of his control. Yuta wasn’t his from the start and he definitely wasn’t now, so when Taeil’s Rut came around and Yuta was getting closer with Sicheng, he did what any good Alpha would do and told him that he’d be fine on his own. They were in the kitchen, Taeil stirring a pot of pasta while Yuta sat at the breakfast bar with an array of architectural sketches surrounding him. 

“What do you mean you  _ don’t need my help _ ?” Yuta’s scent had shifted just the tiniest bit, but Taeil couldn’t quite place why. He didn’t turn around, lest he drop his façade. 

“Oh, you know, you’ve helped me a lot and it’s probably best that I get used to it alone now. You know we can’t do this forever.” He laughed it off, but it sounded dry, not like he meant it one bit. Yuta placed his pencil aside and came to stand beside Taeil at the stove, a hesitant hand on his lower back,

“Taeil? Is there something else? It’s just- this came out of the blue and it’s making me worried. Are you okay?” Yuta tried to get him to look at him, but he was religiously staring into the pan of boiling pasta. 

“It’s fine,  _ I’m _ fine. I just think we should stop before it gets unhealthy, you know?” Taeil tried, but Yuta was still looking at him warily. He sighed, “I know you’ve been getting closer with Sicheng and I don’t want this to ruin things for you. He likes you, Yuta, I’m sure of it.” He smiled sadly, turning away to drain the pasta, but Yuta was frowning, the words not sounding quite as good as he’d expected them to. He found his hand chasing after the small of Taeil’s back, begging to touch him again,

“Wait, Taeil, I-” Yuta began, but Taeil was moving away and their moment was interrupted as Ten entered the kitchen with a twizzler between his teeth. 

“What are you guys talking about? Something smells weird and, for once, I’m inclined to say it  _ isn’t _ Taeil’s cooking.” He pulled himself into Yuta’s vacant barstool as he swiped through his phone. Ten was- for lack of a better description- a loud-mouthed, pretty-faced, silver-spoon-raised Alpha. He was one of the earliest to present, to absolutely  _ no one _ in his family’s surprise, and Yuta was willing to bet his debt-ridden bank account that the majority of their university was funded by his very family. Ten was the spoiled, rich white kid that every university had- except the only correct part of the phrase was that he was rich. 

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” Yuta quickly intercepted, moving back to push Ten off his barstool and gather his floorplans into his arms. 

“Yuta’s just shy because he doesn’t want you to know about his  _ Omega friend _ .” Taeil teased, winking over his shoulder at Ten suggestively, but Yuta could tell that there was an underlying sense of hurt in Taeil’s voice, not quite the usual bite that went with his teasing. Ten looked to Yuta, intrigued,

“Oh, who is it? Please tell me, Yuta? I promise to keep my mouth shut!” Ten whined, pulling at Yuta’s sleeve as he rolled up a floorplan of a cafeteria he’d been assigned to create in a less than reasonable amount of time. 

“I know for a fact that you are incapable of keeping your mouth shut, Ten, don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Yuta said blandly, stacking his supplies under his chin before giving Taeil one last look, careful, controlled. Like Taeil’s final option to change his mind and go back on what he’d said in their previous conversation. Taeil smiled small, a hint of rejection apparent in his eyes. It didn’t feel right, “I need to finish these for tomorrow.” Yuta added quietly, looking away as he gestured to the realms of paper in his arms, crossed the kitchen and made his way upstairs. And for once, to Taeil’s surprise, Ten didn’t ask about it, simply gave him a soft smile and helped him finish making his dinner. 

Kun was in Jaehyun’s lap at the breakfast bar when Renjun emerged from his bedroom still in his pyjamas. 

“Injun-ah, it’s midday! We have company.” Kun chided in rushed Chinese, Jaehyun looked between them with a frown to try and pick up any familiar words, but he was honestly better at Japanese from all the times Yuta had woken him with his sleep-talking. 

“I  _ live _ here, Kun.” Renjun shot back, deciding to pour himself a double shot espresso at the headache Kun was already bringing on, “Besides, Jaehyun’s seen enough. I’m sure he’ll yell if he sees something he hasn’t before.” Renjun shrugged, skipping milk and creamer for his coffee and waiting impatiently for his cup to fill. 

“I can assure you that he won’t need to if you woke up at a normal time like everyone else.” Kun grumbled, rolling his eyes, oblivious to Jaehyun who was still trying to understand a morsel of their conversation. 

“Yes,  _ mum. _ Okay,  _ mum _ .” Renjun said, voice dripping with sarcasm and Kun was sure his hair was already graying from this conversation alone. 

“What were you even doing up so late last night?” Kun asked distractedly, stabbing at a slice of apple with his fork. Renjun came to sit opposite them both at the breakfast bar, raising an eyebrow at the mass of chairs when Kun had chosen Jaehyun’s lap. 

“I was stalking the newbies.” Renjun switched back to Korean, taking pity on Jaehyun and how lost he was beginning to look, “The Frat will get three new Alphas next term if they’re lucky.  _ Three _ .” Renjun explained, looking at Jaehyun in warning. 

“How did you-? They might not have even  _ presented _ yet, Renjun! On what grounds are you predicting this?” Kun asked in exasperation, nowhere near as shocked as he had been the first time Renjun had ended up telling him things like this. Jaehyun looked sceptical too, but Kun wanted to warn him not to judge too early on, Renjun was usually right. There was method to his madness-  _ sometimes _ . 

“That form we fill out on induction day- medical records and parents orientation, that one- it gives a vague guide to who’ll present as what. Back in the dorms, for instance, there were five students in your block, yes? I’m willing to bet that only one of you presented as an Alpha or Omega. They split us up so the poor Betas don’t end up in a house full of pheromones.” Renjun explained easily, taking Kun’s fork from him and finishing off the slice of apple, “I dug around the school system a bit and found the files. They’ve predicted about 14 presentations for the next semester, but it’s better to overestimate by a lot. Sometimes they’ll present later and sometimes they won’t present at all, so I looked into each of their families and backgrounds and I’ve narrowed it down to three new Alphas and one new Omega.” He explained proudly, cheeks protruding with apple slices as he smiled. Jaehyun laughed softly, amused at the deduction, but Kun wasn’t for it,

“Or you could’ve waited a week more and found out like the rest of us.” Kun said flatly, taking his fork back, “But do go on.” He added sarcastically. 

“Where’s the fun in waiting? I finished all my assignments and what better way to spend my time than getting to know our new residents.” Renjun swallowed a mouthful of coffee, wincing at the bitterness, “Who made this?” Jaehyun raised his hand in confusion, “Well, it’s shit.”

“The residents, Renjun, the  _ residents _ .” Kun guided him back on track. 

“Oh, yes, well I can give the full rundown or a revised version.” Renjun offered, taking another sip of his coffee nonetheless. Jaehyun opened his mouth, but Kun cut in,

“Wait, no! Jae, no, don’t you dare ask for the full rundown! We’ll be here all year.” Kun yelped, smacking his palm over Jaehyun’s mouth before turning back to Renjun, “The revised version, please.” Renjun gave him a look, narrowing his eyes before pulling out his phone and clearing his throat.

“Okay, Xiaojun, expected to be an Alpha and in his first-year studying environmental science. He comes from a family of four and was born and raised in Guangdong, China. He moved here last year to begin studying Korean and he’s already enrolled in the university, so that’s something.” Renjun whistled lowly, Kun humming his surprise, “Next is Jeno, Alpha, born in Incheon and studying literature. He was apparently in high school with your other resident, Jaemin, so that should be fun. Jaemin was born in Jeonju, moved to Seoul, studies music theory and is the one I’m most unsure about orientation. Everything points to him being an Alpha, but I’m not certain of it yet, we’ll have to see. I’m expecting these two to either be best friends or mortal enemies, it’s unlikely that there will be an inbetween.” Renjun paused, biting his lip and scrolling through his phone again. 

“And the Omega?” Jaehyun piped up, Kun trying to get a look at his phone, but Renjun was stumbling back with a frown. 

“I- I know I wasn’t supposed to hear you and Jungwoo talk about Mark’s Heat, but what was the name of the person he called for?” Renjun asked a little hesitantly, a frown apparent on his face. 

“Who? The Beta one? I think it was Hyuck, why?” Kun asked, mirroring his frown as he waited for an explanation. 

“I didn’t pay attention to the name so much last night, but I saw they went to the same high school. They’re the same age, too.” Renjun’s frown deepened, “Lee Donghyuck, suspected Omega, studying criminal justice.” 

Lucas was used to coming back to the Frat sweaty and with his muscles burning from practice, what he wasn’t so well-versed in was being stared at from the kitchen. He’d tried his best to keep his distance from Johnny all semester, which hadn’t actually been too difficult as they were both well immersed in studies, but Lucas had been kidding himself that he could keep it up much longer. Ten was at the stove cooking pancakes and swaying his hips along to the music he’d put through the speakers as Johnny sat on the countertop chewing his nails when Lucas met his eyes. 

“How was practice?” Johnny asked. It was awkward, stilted. They didn’t talk at the best of times so why did he think it appropriate to start being civil now? Lucas couldn’t place it. 

“Fine, I need to shower.” He said shortly, but Johnny was jumping off the counter, Ten oblivious as he continued cooking. 

“I wanted to talk to you.” Johnny said softly, coming closer to Lucas before he managed to escape. He swallowed dryly, suddenly feeling like a kid facing their school principal, he hadn’t felt like this before, but then again Johnny hadn’t seemed territorial towards him before. 

“O-okay.” He muttered, jerking his head to the staircase to make his way to his bedroom, “But I still need a shower.” He guided them up to his room, watching Johnny inspect his belongings and make himself comfortable on his bed. Lucas sighed to himself, dumping his gym bag by his desk and wishing this to end soon. 

“What do you know about Mark?” Johnny spoke up, eyes studying Lucas’ reaction to the question and he couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised by it. It was unexpected. 

“Mark? I only met him this semester, why?” Lucas shrugged, pulling his sports sweater off and adjusting his thermal, trying his best to act disinterested, impassive. 

“You smell like him a lot, I wondered if there was something between you two.” Johnny leant back on his hands, cocking his head inquisitively, but Lucas stood his ground. 

“He’s my friend, I’m sure you smell like your friends too, I just don’t happen to be around you enough to notice.” Lucas replied bluntly, tearing his thermal off and leaving himself in just his shorts and leggings. He was  _ desperate _ for a shower. 

“What I said at the party- I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. I thought I was close enough with him to have that conversation, I didn’t think he’d be so insecure about it.” Johnny mumbled, but Lucas had more than a bit of a problem with how he’d just worded that. He leapt forward, grabbing Johnny by the collar and it was like that night at the mixer again. Johnny waited for a punch to be thrown, squeezing his eyes shut, but not fighting back, he’d learnt that Lucas usually had a reason for punching people and that he must have done something in order to have earned it. Lucas sighed, dropping his fist, but keeping Johnny’s collar in his grip,

“You don’t know him, Johnny, not anymore. He’s different from the person you knew back in highschool and I hate to be the one to tell you, but he doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.” Lucas spat, releasing his grip and storming towards his en-suite to run himself a shower, “You’ve done enough, Johnny. There’s not much else you can do that’ll fuck things up further.”

The end of term was fast approaching, Christmas right round the corner and Kun had taken the liberty of decorating the sorority in ribbons of red and green and lacy white. Mark had pretended not to be jealous when he’d walked in on Jaehyun lifting Kun onto his shoulders to put the star on the top of the Christmas tree in their entrance hall. Exams were coming to a close and students were packing their bags for a novelty two week break outside of halls, but there was still one last event before things really started winding down- albeit, Mark’s most dreaded- the Winter Wonderland dance. It was tradition and Mark couldn’t have thought of a worse one to want to continue, it’d always seemed tacky to him and now he was being forced to take part it felt even more so. Lucas and Ten had laughed at his reaction when Kun had pointed out a particularly risqué outfit he was hoping to order for the dance and Mark was reminded again of his little identity crisis.  _ Was it customary to wear lace underwear beneath dress pants? _ He began doubting himself, worrying his lip between his teeth as he stared between the Omegas who’d already begun planning outfits and makeup even with finals left to take. Ten had approached him one morning with a sly grin and an envelope between his slender fingers. Mark hadn’t seemed to notice fingers so much until recently. 

“I have a gift. You’re the last one to receive it, so you can’t turn it down because then I have to ask for everyone else’s back and that’s simply  _ not _ fair.” Ten had slid the envelope across the kitchen counter as Mark sipped his coffee. He frowned before opening it to find a slip of paper. 

_ Mister Lee Minhyung Mark _

_ Five-thousand dollars only _

_ Signed, Ten Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul- successor of LabelV & SM productions. _

Mark stared at the cheque, reading it once, twice then dropping it to the counter like it’d burned him. He put his coffee aside,

“Why are you- why did you give me this?” Mark said in mild shock, it was verging on horror, but Ten was simply laughing, throwing his head back and showing all his pretty teeth. 

“Jesus, Mark, it’s not exactly a dent in my bank account. I do it for the Omegas every year. Half Christmas present, half bonus towards your Wonderland dance outfit.” Ten shrugged, sliding the paper back towards him as it’d floated back to him when Mark dropped it. 

“B-but I- we hardly know each other and- and don’t Alphas normally only do this if they’re courting Omegas?” Mark asked hesitantly, suspiciously. Ten laughed again, winking before he leant forward on his elbows, resting his chin in his hands. 

“Why, do you  _ want _ me to court you? Is that it?” Ten teased, amused with Mark’s flustered response, “Relax, I'm just playing. I’m not trying to court you if that’s what you thought- the person I’m courting got a cheque of a little more, but he doesn’t really seem the type I can bribe with nice things. Although, he  _ does like _ nice things.” Ten added distractedly, twirling his hair between his fingers before Mark caught his attention by lifting the cheque again. Mark wasn’t quite sure whether it was Hendery or Taeyong that Ten was courting, but they both seemed to have an expensive taste. It wasn’t going to be easy for him. 

“Why’s your name so long?” He asked dumbly, changing the subject as he sipped his coffee again, trying to calm down, process one thing at a time. Ten gaped at him, 

“I just gave your sorry-ass a cheque for five-thousand dollars and you’re asking why my name’s so long? If you’ve got a problem with my name then you can just give that back.” Ten teased, reaching a hand out for the cheque, but Mark was giggling at him, trying his best to pronounce the name at the bottom. 

“Did the others really just accept this? Am I  _ supposed _ to accept it without any preamble? Is this some sort of test-?” Mark began once his laughter had died down, suspicion clouding his mind as he held the paper up to the light. He didn’t know what he was really looking for, he was a graphic design major not a PI. Ten huffed a sigh of faux distress,

“ _ No _ , it’s not fake,  _ yes _ I’m giving it to you,  _ no _ this is not a test and  _ yes _ everyone got the same amount other than the person I’m courting. Happy?” Ten crossed his arms over his chest, seeming a lot more Alpha in that moment and it made Mark’s head spin a little bit. 

“How much did he get? The one you’re courting?” Mark asked cheekily, sliding the paper back into the envelope as he stared Ten down. He was thankful that Ten wasn’t the all-imposing, Alpha-centric, Omega-crazed Alpha. He might’ve looked like it, but he wasn’t. 

“Mark, just bank the damn cheque before all the nice things sell out- or worse- I get Kun and Sicheng to pick something out for you.” Ten winked playfully, sashaying away with a spring in his step. 

So far, Renjun had been right about fifty-percent of their expected new arrivals. Jaemin and Xiaojun had arrived the morning of the day of the dance, bags and cases littering the Fraternity hallway. Renjun had been there to greet them, surprising them both by sauntering the Alpha residence that morning in his pyjamas shorts and sweater in the hopes of catching a proper glimpse before the evening. Yuta had practically shooed him away when he found him in the living room with them both, asking them less than appropriate questions for a little past 11am on a Saturday morning. He’d scrunched his nose and made his way back towards the Sorority to find a porter unloading bags onto their porch, Kun in the doorway in a silk dressing robe. 

“The new Omega? Who is it? Come on, tell me I’m right!” Renjun asked excitedly, searching the bags for an address label to confirm his suspicions. He had a thing for being right. 

“Yes, yes, it’s Donghyuck, but I can’t say I’m surprised, you’re pretty good, you know.” Kun waved him off, Jaehyun having already texted him to tell him he’d got the two Alphas right. Renjun smiled wildly, following Kun inside as he began shivering. 

“So? Where is he?” Renjun asked excitedly, eyes darting around as Kun dragged a suitcase to the bottom of the staircase, Yangyang appearing from his room, half-asleep, despite it being 11am. 

“He’s got business with his family or something, but we’ll meet him at the party later.” Kun explained, watching Renjun visibly deflate a little, Yangyang sleepily falling into his arms with a groan. Kun really was like his big brother sometimes, like he knew what he needed even before he said it. 

“Why are you all up so early? The dance isn’t until later.” He groaned into Kun’s neck, nuzzling his scent and wrapping his arms around Kun’s waist. 

“Look what you did, Injun, you woke the baby.” Kun chastised, Renjun sticking his tongue out in response as he poured himself a coffee. 

“It’s not my fault he was up until god-knows-when playing video games!” Renjun pouted, poking Yangyang’s side as he curled up on Kun’s lap on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep again. 

“‘M not a baby.” He muttered tiredly under his breath and Kun wanted to tell him that only babies would say that, but the moment was interrupted with a knock at the door frame.

“It’s like I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, there’s always someone attached to your side.” Jaehyun sauntered in, dressed down in an open plaid shirt over a T-shirt and a pair of loose grey sweatpants that Kun wasn’t sure were even his. 

“Hey, baby.” Kun smiled up at him, tilting his head to give him a gentle kiss of greeting. Jaehyun flopped down on the couch beside him, setting a bag down on the coffee table and twining his fingers into Yangyang’s hair affectionately.

“Nope, I know that logo, I’m leaving.” Renjun suddenly piped up, staring hauntedly at the bag Jaehyun had placed aside. Jaehyun laughed, watching as he scuttled away, before turning back to Kun with a wide grin. 

“Yeah, it’s probably best.” He shrugged, pulling Kun in for a proper kiss now that they had a little more privacy. Yangyang was positively out like a light and Jaehyun wasn’t trying to take advantage of that, but he  _ definitely was _ . 

“How are the Alphas settling in?” Kun piped up once they pulled apart, fingers tracing the place where the back of his neck met his shoulders, Jaehyun loved when he did that. 

“They’re doing fine, I dare say Renjun was trying to make  _ friends _ .” Jaehyun teased, raising his voice so Renjun might hear him. Kun laughed, leaning his head on Jae’s shoulder, “Anyway, I brought you something. I know we’re not doing Christmas presents, but it’s more of a friends-to-lovers sort of thing, you know. It’s not anything serious.” Jaehyun shrugged it off, but Kun could see a tendril of anxiety in his expression and it was unbearably cute. He kissed him again, Yangyang shifting in his lap as he moved, but Jaehyun was meeting him halfway to try and accommodate it. 

“Friends-to-lovers, huh? That’s cute, it has a ring to it.” Kun smiled against his lips, letting Jaehyun slip his hand under the satin of his robe, pressing his fingers into Kun’s collarbones and shoulders. Kun caught him staring at his neck a little hungrily and he knew they would end up getting carried away if they didn’t stop now. They hadn’t done anything past chaste kisses in the hallways for the past two weeks down to exams and studies getting in the way. Kun wasn’t exactly sure how he’d managed, let alone stayed sane. Jaehyun sighed, fingers itching for more of Kun, but he left it for now.

“I need to collect my suit. I’ll see you later, alright?” Jaehyun pulled back reluctantly, ruffling Yangyang’s hair one last time and leaning over Kun, pressing his face between his hands and kissing his forehead tenderly. 

“Y-Yeah, I'll see you later.” Kun sighed, inhaling his scent before he pulled back, “And thanks, Jae, I’m sure I’ll love it.” He added, gesturing towards the bag with a bashful smile. Jaehyun visibly tried to control himself from giving Kun another kiss, simply settling with winding his fingers into his hair before winking and leaving Kun with a satisfied feeling in his chest. He was going to get a lot more than he’d bargained for tonight. 

All eight Omegas were gathered in Jungwoo’s bedroom this time, a similar feeling to the first mixer, but with a whole lot more glam and a much better atmosphere. Mark didn’t feel so awkward for one thing and Taeyong and Yangyang seemed to have settled into their places here just fine. Sicheng was the same as usual, lining his bottom lid in gold glitter as he sat on the floor in front of the full length mirror. Mark could watch him do it for hours, there was something calming about it, almost reassuring him that this would be just like any other night, no different just because he’d started accepting his Omega side. Nothing had changed, life went on, Sicheng never once screwed up his eyeliner. See? Things would be fine. 

“I’m opening the champagne, it’s 7 and that’s at least 5 hours too late.” Hendery called out, entering the room with a tray of champagne flutes and a bottle under his arm- courtesy of Ten, of course. Kun laughed as Hendery struggled with the cork, taking it from him before he took someone’s eye out. 

“Now, who’s getting laid tonight?” Sicheng called to the room, looking at them all deviously as Hendery began handing out glasses that Kun had poured. A rough cheer went around, mostly noise from Kun and Jungwoo, but the others seemed doubtful. 

“Let’s try that again,” Jungwoo laughed, making sure everyone in the room had a glass, “Here’s to getting laid tonight!” He toasted, raising his glass and the rest of them were more compliant with that. Mark highly doubted it, but it was at least something he could toast to. Hendery and Renjun knocked back their glasses, ready for another top-up in the blink of an eye and for once, Kun didn’t give them the ‘pace yourselves’ look. They were all still dressed in loungewear, outfits laid out in their rooms or hung from the doors of their closets and Mark hated to admit that the atmosphere was just that little bit exciting. It felt like it was going to be a good night and that usually meant it was, but he was well enough versed to know that at least one thing would go wrong- however, he wasn’t willing to let it ruin his night. 

“Injun said you had a visit from Jae earlier, Kun? Do tell.” Jungwoo teased, sipping his champagne as he leant back against his pillows, giving Kun a sly look, his shirt slipping off his shoulders, much too big for him. It had to have been Doyoung’s. 

“Have a wild guess, I’m sure you can come up with an explanation as to why he’d drop off a bag from  _ Bordelle _ .” Kun winked back at him, pouring Hendery and Renjun another glass of champagne each. Jungwoo exaggerated a gasp, Sicheng smiling coyly at Kun in the reflection of the mirror,

“Show us! Come on, Kunnie!” Jungwoo whined, batting his eyelashes as a plea, but Kun was laughing, relaxing against Jungwoo’s pillows and smiling up at him cheekily.

“Nope, but I’ll give you a clue,” He placed his glass on the bedside table, “It’s black and lacy and probably cost him half of his tuition loan.” Kun smirked to himself as he thought back to the gift, reminding himself of the plan he’d configured on opening the gift. 

“I should’ve got something pretty, you’re making me jealous now.” Taeyong groaned, pouting cutely as he looked over at Kun from his place beside Hendery. Sicheng scoffed,

“I’ve seen your outfit, Taeyong, I don’t think you’ll have trouble looking pretty in that.” He winked at him, turning the flat-iron on, tapping through his phone as he waited for it to heat up. 

“Oh, yeah how is it, Yongie? He's a lot, right?” Renjun commented vaguely, beginning his own makeup now, shuffling forward to sit beside Sicheng at the mirror. Mark was beginning to connect the dots. 

“Ten? He’s- he’s nice.” Taeyong mumbled, blushing a little as he looked at his hands in his lap. Mark noticed Jungwoo and Kun sharing a look out the corner of his eye, but decided to stay focused on Taeyong’s response, curious about how they’d become close. 

“Nice, hm? Iced tea is  _ nice _ , chocolate cookies are  _ nice _ . Really, Taeyong, let's be more imaginative here.” Hendery teased, a hum of agreement going round the room as Taeyong took another sip from his glass. 

“Fine, he’s- he’s kind and funny and takes care of me in dance practice and when I stay after he brings me coffee and helps me with sequences until I’m so tired I can barely walk. Then he drives me home even though he has classes to teach and messages me to make sure I’ve eaten- he’s- he’s too good to me really.” Taeyong rambled, biting his lip bashfully as he mused about Ten. Jungwoo was practically squealing, flinging himself across the room and hugging Taeyong, looking back at Kun with a stern expression. 

“I told you! There’s no way he’d use Ten like that, he’s good, Kun!” Jungwoo chastised and Mark was slowly beginning to understand- the two Omegas were looking out for Ten, making sure he wasn’t being used for his money. Mark thought it was sweet how they tried to help. 

“I know I might seem like that, but I really don’t care about the money, Jungwoo. Yes, I like expensive things, but I can do without them. I’d still feel the same way about him if he didn’t have a dollar to his name.” Taeyong added under his breath, dropping his gaze to try and avoid the second round of squealing and teasing that was already coming his way. Mark smiled, reaching for the bottle to top up his glass again, but deciding otherwise as the commotion around him died down and the rest of them eventually went back to getting ready. Mark climbed onto the bed beside Kun, tugging on his elbow with a hesitant look in his eyes that had Kun in immediate panic-mode, but when Mark spoke, he felt all of his inhibitions float away,

“Kunnie? Can- can you do my makeup?” 

Sicheng was right, Taeyong did look pretty, but it was hard to say because Taeyong was  _ always _ pretty. The club was dimly lit and the sharp smell of liquor was already faint in the air conditioned building, but there was still a heat under Mark’s skin- it felt like anticipation. The fundings had, by no means, hedged on the club they were at; probably the nicest club Mark had ever set foot in, but that didn’t really mean much coming from him. He sat at the booth with the rest of the Omegas, waiting for the Alphas and their new Omega to arrive and Mark hadn’t been afraid to join in with the shots they’d ordered. He was now drinking something Jungwoo had ordered for him, mostly sweet, but slightly bitter and it was getting him buzzed a lot faster than he’d originally perceived. Yangyang looked at him over the rim of his cocktail glass, a smirk on his lips,

“You’ve got a tendency, you know,” He began, placing his glass aside and quirking an eyebrow, “You do that ‘anxious sip’, you know, the one to pass the time. It’s like an oral fixation, Mark, you might want to check that out.” He teased, sliding Mark’s glass away from him and only then did he realise that he’d practically finished it already. He didn’t even know what he was anxious about. 

“Mark’s got an oral fixation, huh?” Yuta spoke up, grabbing the Omegas attention as the rest of the Alphas joined them in the booth. Mark didn’t have a moment to protest the accusation before they were all moving to a larger booth, ordering drinks and settling down to get buzzed before Ten dragged them onto the dance floor. Lucas settled beside Mark, alcohol already a little thick on his breath, but Mark found it comforting, nostalgia creeping back to him from the time they’d spent at the mixer back when they’d first met. 

“You look pretty,” Lucas murmured, smiling down at him and crossing his ankle over his knee as he leant back to sip his drink. Mark almost felt his breath catch in his throat before he was snapped out of it by a burning gaze from across the booth, “I like your makeup, it looks good on you.” Lucas added, noticing the glimmer of silver on his eyelids and how it complimented his outfit. Mark blushed, hiding his embarrassment in his drink,

“Th-thanks, I asked Kun to do it for me.” He explained, eyeing Lucas too, “You look pretty good yourself, I didn’t know it was possible for biceps to be noticeable through blazers.” He teased, eyeing Lucas’ arms and poking him in the side. Hendery joined them a moment later, striking up a conversation with Lucas and then there were eyes on him again. He could feel the gaze, could tell it wasn’t the same one as before, no this was-

“Minhyung?” Mark looked up, placing his glass aside before he dropped it. He would’ve done, with how much of a surprise this was. He inhaled sharply, looking up at the owner of that velvety voice that he hadn’t seemed to have forgotten, it hadn’t changed,  _ he _ hadn’t changed. 

“Haechan? You- you’re-” Mark looked him over, half devastated and half in awe. The group around him fell silent as he stood abruptly, Johnny narrowed his eyes, but he hadn’t noticed anything other than Donghyuck in all his ethereal, golden glory. Mark didn’t know where to start with his greeting, he didn’t know where they stood, they’d parted on pretty rocky grounds, but Donghyuck was smiling now, leaping forward and wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck and then he smelt it- Omega. Haechan was an Omega. 

“I can’t believe you’re here! I can’t believe- J-Johnny?” Donghyuck paused his frantic rambling as he caught Johnny’s eye over Mark’s shoulder, pulling away to look at him properly, but Johnny was already on his feet, disappearing into the throng of students. Donghyuck looked to Mark with a worried frown, eyes always shining so prettily, even in the worst of situations. 

“Don’t ask.” He shrugged it off, pulling him down to sit beside him on the couch and it felt like old times all over again, “I can’t believe it. You’re here with me, you’re an Omega, Hyuckie! You always wanted it to end up like that.” Mark smiled toothily, automatically beginning to play with the hair at the nape of Hyuck’s neck, just like they’d left off. 

“I’m too lucky, I know!” He teased, running a hand onto Mark’s thigh affectionately, “It must’ve been a surprise for you, though. I didn’t know you were even capable of being this pretty.” He pinched Mark’s cheek, lightness to his voice that didn’t make Lucas appear out of nowhere to punch him. Mark was grateful for that. 

“Don’t exaggerate, Haechanie, I’ve  _ always _ been pretty.” He winked back playfully, finally getting around to introducing Donghyuck properly to everyone. It was hard to think that it could’ve been any different from how things had gone, but Mark was grateful that there hadn’t been any harsh words or, worse,  _ fists _ thrown. 

Yangyang found himself on the dance floor with Hendery, Taeyong, Ten and the pretty new Alpha who’d been not-so-subtly eyeing him up earlier. Ten and Taeyong were a few meters away, grinding against one another in a more-than-tipsy state, but Yangyang knew that he wasn’t much better himself and Xiaojun- the new Alpha in front of him- was looking increasingly more delectable as the night went on. 

“You know, can touch me, Yangie.” Xiaojun leant in, raising his voice above the music as he watched Yangyang’s hands hover over the lapels of his jacket for the millionth time that evening. Yangyang smiled, curling his fingers into the fabric and moving in closer, noticing Hendery dragging Mark and Donghyuck onto the dance floor out the corner of his eye. 

“I wasn’t scared about touching you,” Yangyang called over the music, looping a hand over Xiaojun’s shoulder tilting his face so they were close enough to breath each other’s scents, “I was scared that if I started, I wouldn’t be able to stop.” He pulled back again, the hand still on Xiaojun’s shoulder and it was enough for the Alpha to smirk and slide his hand carefully onto Yangyang’s cinched waist, squeezing softly to ground himself. 

“Mh, feisty for such a little Omega.” He laughed, brushing Yangyang’s bangs from his eyes with his free hand. Yangyang rose an eyebrow,

“How do you know I’m  _ not _ little?” He teased back, flirting shamelessly and it was a wonder they’d met 3 hours ago. Yangyang wasn’t sure whether he just wanted a hookup. 

“Because I know that big personalities cover up smaller other-parts. So, tell me, Yangyang, will I have to find out for myself or will you tell me?” Xiaojun hummed into his neck, nipping gently at his earlobe and leaving his hand loose on Yangie’s waist in case he wanted to pull away, but  _ God _ , he just wanted Xiaojun to hold him tighter, harsh enough to bruise. Yangyang liked being ruffed up and Xiaojun looked like he could do a pretty mean job of doing so. 

“I’m taking Yongie home,” Yangyang spun around as a voice sounded behind him, Ten grabbing his shoulder as he yelled over the music. Yangyang scoffed at the sight he was met with, Taeyong’s face buried in Ten’s neck, ravishing his purpled scent gland with hickies was enough of a cue for them to leave, “Be gentle with him.” Ten winked at Yangyang, nodding towards Xiaojun playfully. 

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to him?  _ I’m _ the Omega here!” Yangyang laughed, exasperated at Ten’s warning. Taeyong slipped a hand up beneath Ten’s shirt, distracting him for a moment and making his scent flare. He closed his eyes to compose himself.

“I think I got it the right way round.” Ten winked once he’d gained a bit of self-control back, looking to Xiaojun with a smirk before he disappeared with Taeyong practically in his arms. 

“Don’t corrupt him, Ten!” Yangyang called after him, but he wasn’t really sure Taeyong  _ could _ be corrupted anymore than he secretly already seemed to be. Taeyong was quiet about his sex life, but pretty loud in the bedroom- Yangyang had heard enough to know he was less than innocent. By a lot. Xiaojun’s hands on his hips brought him back to the place in the club,

“Why? You want to leave too?” He mumbled into Yangie’s neck as he caught him staring after Ten and Taeyong. There was a tipsy lilt to his voice and Yangyang wasn’t sure how they’d gone from being mainly sober to mildly pissed in what felt like ten minutes. He noticed Jungwoo dancing with Doyoung nearby, hands running over his body riskily and Yangyang could see that Doyoung was regretting not drinking as much as the others earlier on in the evening, but he’d known that there needed to be someone at least half-sober when there were new Alphas and a group of Omegas to look out for. From Jungwoo’s expression, Yangyang could tell that Doyoung wouldn’t fully let loose until all the Omegas were back home and safe from harm's way. 

Across the club, Mark was sat in a booth with a leg slung across Taeil’s lap, Hyuck chattering drunkenly about anything and everything that came to mind, Mark had missed it. 

“You know, he hasn’t said a word to me since I arrived.” Donghyuck suddenly spoke up, fingers curling against Mark’s scalp and making him groan in satisfaction. Mark wasn’t a horny drunk, but Hyuck brought out a few new sides to him every once in a while. He looked up at him, meeting his gaze and realising how he looked a little disappointed,

“He’s the same, Haechan, nothing’s changed since highschool. I don’t expect it to either.” Mark replied, sitting up and curling his arms around his shoulders, tucking his face into his neck and inhaling his delicate Omega scent. Mark wasn’t exactly familiar with his own scent, but he was sure that Haechan’s was a thousand times better, “He said some things to me at the first mixer at the beginning of the semester. We haven’t talked since.” Mark added, filling him in enough to understand and, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a handful of girls and boys clustered around Johnny, offering small talk and drunken touches that weren’t exactly kept PG-13. 

“I knew it wouldn’t all just go back to the way things were in highschool, but this is… it’s new territory, he used to care about you-  _ us.” _ Donghyuck frowned, staring across the bar as Johnny pulled an Omega girl into his lap, eyes narrowing dangerously as she began grinding her hips. Donghyuck swallowed roughly as he saw Johnny tip his head back against the couch, a cocky smirk on his face and his hands on her hips. He was as pretty as ever and also as much of a dick, but that didn’t mean anything when they’d once been friends. Haechan had known he’d sort of been the glue to their mashup group, going back to Spain had been a shock to Mark and that’s where their relationship had been cut off unexpectedly. Mark had been left with Johnny after that, no Haechan to tame his antics or chastise his actions and eventually Johnny had drifted from him- Mark couldn’t control Johnny- he should’ve known he’d be an Omega, the signs were right there. 

“Just because he was the oldest it doesn’t mean he cared, he just felt obliged to look after us. He’s an Alpha, I’m not, things are different now.” Mark tried to move the conversation along, bitterly knocking back another shot as Yuta arrived at the table with a fresh tray. 

“He still looks at you like before.” Donghyuck slurred, reaching for another shot, but Mark felt sobered all of a sudden, grabbing Haechan’s wrist to deprive him of the glass. 

“What did you just say?” He asked, a hint of threat hanging in his voice, but Donghyuck wasn’t backing down, laughing lightly and pulling his grip back from Mark’s hold, downing his shot and reaching for a slice of lemon.

“I never brought it up, but I saw you both that time under the bleachers. He hasn’t been the same since then, he doesn’t look at you the same way.” 

_ Mark stormed out of the classroom with his coat hanging off his shoulders. He was utterly done with him, this was the last straw and Johnny had barely even gotten started. Part of him hoped that Johnny would run after him, tell him that he valued their friendship more than a fling and that he’d end things with Daniel if it hurt Mark so much. That he’d tell him that he was sorry for what he said and that he hated the fact he’d hurt Mark’s feelings, but he hadn’t followed him and he definitely didn’t care about him. Hyuck had left school two days ago now, his flight booked for two days after that and Mark already missed him. He resented him for leaving, following his family back to Spain and not telling him until the last minute, but right now he resented Johnny even more. Mark had half hoped to find Donghyuck under the bleachers already there to take him in his arms and stroke his hair whilst he cried before he gave him a firm pep talk and took him home to play League of Legends, but when he got there he was greeted with emptiness, just the rustle of trees and wind through grass to keep him company. He pulled his windbreaker around him as the spring air became a little cooler against his skin, the bleachers would shield him from the wind. He settled down on the grass, a deep frown between his brows as he looked up at the metal railings where he, Donghyuck and Johnny had carved their korean names in their first year of highschool. It was stupid now. Mark groaned, picking up a rock from where he sat on the ground, tossing it aimlessly at Johnny’s name and cursing when it bounced back and hit him in the shin. He was stupid, Johnny was stupid, Haechan was stupid and everything sucked. He wanted to cry, but he’d almost run out of tears from how he’d mourned over Haechan leaving, nothing was fair and he was going to graduate alone. Always alone.  _

_ “Are you still sulking?” Great, now Johnny was here and things sucked even more. Mark petulantly turned away from his voice, dust smattering his pants as he pulled his knees to his chest and looked away.  _

_ “I’ve only just started, Johnny.” Mark said without looking at him, “Of course I’m not finished sulking yet.” He grit his teeth, trying not to make it sound so playful, he really was upset. Johnny came to sit down beside him, stretching his long legs out under the bleachers and leaning back on his hands. _

_ “I’m sorry, you know,” Johnny mumbled under his breath. It was the first time Mark had ever heard him apologise and it didn’t sound right coming from his lips, “I’m sorry I outed you like that. I thought people knew.” He looked at Mark carefully, actual emotion in his eyes and Mark had to look away before he started feeling things he shouldn’t. He tossed a stone onto the field, picking at the grass and trying to stay occupied. He sighed heavily, _

_ “I would say it’s okay, but it’s really not, Johnny. You may be comfortable as the kingpin-Bisexual here, but I’m… I’m not. We’re friends, Johnny, is this really how it’s going to be without Hyuckie?” Mark asked in disappointment, wide eyes staring up at Johnny with a hint of sadness, blatant fear as to what he should expect from now on. Johnny shook his head, grabbing Mark’s hand from where he was taking his stress out on the grass, hands grubby with soil, _

_ “Stop, Markie, just stop.” He said softly, a tone Mark hadn’t heard directed at him before. It hurt to know that he probably wouldn’t hear it like that again, “Just- listen, I know I’m not a great friend at times-” _

_ “Yeah, you’re pretty shit, to be honest.” _

_ “I wasn’t finished.” Johnny nudged him with a light smile, turning serious again, “But things aren’t going to change just because Hyuckie’s gone. I know you don’t like Daniel, but I do and you have to understand that there are going to be differences between us. Just like how you love actual watermelon and I only like the candy flavour.” Johnny was putting it in easy terms like he was talking to a child, but it wasn’t that easy and Mark wasn’t a child. He slid his grubby hands into Johnny’s, watching as he rubbed his thumb over his knuckles soothingly, _

_ “You’re such a nuisance, did you know?” Mark said, but there was a hint of teasing in his voice as he linked their hands together, a little smile on his face. _

_ “Yeah and you love me anyway.” Johnny nudged his shoulder playfully, a wide grin on his face until he saw Mark’s own smile falter at his words, fingers slipping from his grip, “Come on, don’t be like that. I love you too.” He coaxed, ruffling Mark’s hair, but he didn’t want to hear anymore- didn’t want to be with him anymore. Mark knew that Johnny would never like him past this- this playful teasing manner of friendship, that was all it was- friendship. Johnny couldn’t love him, Johnny was set to be an Alpha and so was he. Johnny could have anyone and it surely wouldn’t be Mark, Johnny could never love him. _

_ “I’m going home.” Mark got up, pulling his hand away and dropping his face so Johnny couldn’t read his expression, “I want to see Hyuckie one last time before he leaves tomorrow.” He explained, but it was barely past 3pm and he had all the time in the world to see him. Johnny knew it was an excuse. He scrambled to his feet, grabbing Mark by the wrist as he almost knocked himself out on the bleachers, _

_ “W-wait, Mark, wait.” Johnny hadn’t sounded nervous around Mark before, not like this at least, but his reason became apparent when he backed Mark up against the main support of the bleachers and kissed him hard. Mark gasped for a moment, unresponsive as he focused on the cold metal behind him, practically holding him up as he felt all his energy leave his body. Johnny was kissing him, cupping his face, lips soft against his as he turned his head to angle the kiss and Mark was losing himself in the moment- _

_ “What- what the fuck, Johnny! Get off me!” Mark had his hands against his chest, pushing Johnny until he stumbled away from him, lips parted and wet with saliva and there was something new swimming in his eyes. Something between desire and despair, Mark couldn’t understand why. He was the one who should be in despair right now, “Why did you do that? Y-you bastard.” Mark felt a wave of nausea stir in his gut. He hadn’t meant the words, not one bit- if anything, he’d wanted Johnny to carry on- but he was messing with him. That’s all Johnny knew how to do, mess with people, fuck them up and leave them high and dry.  _

_ “Mark, I-” Johnny stuttered, but Mark was already turning on his heel, tears blurring his vision and preventing him from seeing Johnny’s expression, but he wasn’t done just yet. _

_ “Do you know what, Johnny? This really is the worst thing you could’ve done.” Mark raised his voice, the sound cracking in his throat as he turned back to Johnny and began to cry. He ran his hand through his hair, lips quivering, “I like you Johnny! I’ve liked you since you came up to me with that stupid lion keyring on the first week of highschool. Donghyuck stayed with me for days when I admitted it to him, because we just knew things would never work out and now everything’s so fucked up and you’ve fucked it up even more! You like Daniel, Hyuck is leaving me and we’re both presenting as Alphas, everything that could’ve possibly gone wrong is going wrong and- I- I hate you!” Mark yelled. He was mad and hurt and everything felt too much, his eyes were heavy and he’d barely even spoken the half of it. Johnny was staring at him with this look on his face that Mark couldn’t judge, it was like a grimace, a pained look of self-destruction. _

_ “Mark, come on, you don’t mean th-” Johnny began, taking a step closer to try and soothe him, but Mark was stepping back again, chest caving as he stifled a sob. _

_ “Yes, Johnny, yes I do.” He inhaled, levelling Johnny with a stern glare, “I fucking hate you.” _

Mark knocked another shot back, shaking himself from his reverie and sighing. Donghyuck could smell him, he was sure of it, scent all haywire and twisted and he found his face back in Haechan’s neck to soothe himself.

“I never really hated him, you know.” Mark mumbled, but Hyuck was laughing into his drink, stroking Mark’s hair and dragging his fingers to his collar.

“I know.” He said shortly, carefully removing Mark from his side, “Now, let’s stop feeling sorry for ourselves and show him what he’s missing.” Haechan placed his drink aside, standing quickly and swaying a moment as the alcohol settled in his veins. Mark looked down at himself, he’d made a pretty nice purchase with Ten’s money- so much so that his bank had rung him to check it wasn’t a fraudulent payment- but he still felt like he wasn’t enough. The girl in Johnny’s lap was in something shimmery and tight and a little holographic, or maybe Mark was just drunk. 

“I really don’t think he’s missing that much, Haechanie.” Mark said with a raised eyebrow, looking down at himself as he stood up, Kun dragging Jaehyun to join them.

“You have a cock and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t.” Hyuck winked at him, taking his hand and Mark was revelling in the warmth of his skin and the way the lights hit his face and he was reminded why exactly Donghyuck had been the first person he’d loved.

When Ten and Taeyong arrived back at the Fraternity Taeyong had sort of expected clothes to be shed and them to end up beneath the sheets, but to his surprise, he was being sat down with a glass of water, Ten disappearing into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Ten had been the honorary Alpha there to hold Renjun’s hair back as he puked on the street and- unfortunately- Ten’s shoulder, even more surprising was the way he’d drunkenly apologised before dashing back into the club again. Now, Taeyong was perched on the edge of Ten’s bed with a half-empty glass of water and almost half of his sobriety back. He stood, looking around Ten’s room while he waited for him, placing his glass on his desk and flopping back against the sheets. He wasn’t usually quite this needy, but he just wanted Ten to touch him,  _ fuck him _ , already. Things were going too slowly.

“Ten, are you nearly done?” Taeyong tapped at the bathroom door, leaning his head on the doorframe impatiently. He wanted his lips back on his, wanted Ten’s hands on his waist, he just  _ wanted _ . The door opened a moment later, Ten appearing with his towel slung around his waist, hands automatically reaching for Taeyong as he noticed him so close.

“I’m here, baby, how are you feeling?” He asked, cupping Taeyong’s face in his warm hands, but Taeyong was distracted with the vast new expanse of skin he’d been blessed with, “Did you sober up any?” He added, watching as Taeyong ran his eyes over his bare abdomen, still a little wet from his shower.

“Y-yes, I’m-I’m sober now.” He said shakily, breath coming heavy as he stared in awe at Ten’s hardened nipples from the cold air of the room. Taeyong wanted to get his mouth on them.

“I know you’re horny and not completely sober, Taeyong, I don’t want this to be something you regret in the morning.” He mumbled, tilting Taeyong’s chin up with his hands, getting him to meet his eyes. Taeyong had half started to think that Ten just didn’t want him at all, but this made a lot more sense now. Taeyong shook his head, hesitantly reaching his hands up to place on Ten’s shoulders, tracing his clavicle and windpipe with delicate fingers.

“I’m definitely not going to regret this.” Taeyong sighed, eyes darting to his lips as he leant in, “I thought about you so much, I could barely concentrate in dance class when you touched me between breaks, you-you were all that was on my mind during Heat.” He blushed, biting his lip and that was enough for Ten to agree that Taeyong wasn’t going to find this regrettable in the aftermath.

“Tell me about it.” Ten mumbled silkily against his lips, cupping his jaw and sliding a hand down his chest to pull him impossibly closer before ravishing his neck, “Tell me about Heat, you were so shy when you came back to class, wouldn’t even let me kiss you.” Ten sucked harshly on his neck, teeth grazing the skin as he left another blooming mark to match his own. Taeyong let out a stuttered breath, thinking back to Heat week and how much better it’d been than he’d expected. Ten guided them to the edge of his bed, sitting Taeyong down as he dropped to his knees, still in just his towel. 

“I had these mirages, Heat-addled dreams and you didn’t-  _ fuck _ \- you didn’t stop touching me in any of them. Your hands were everywhere, like-like I couldn’t shake you from my body, but I didn’t want to. I wanted you everywhere, around me, within me, I wanted everything you’d give me.” Taeyong had been stripped of his shirt now, his bare chest on display and Ten had already started on his nipples, teething at them gently and pulling them harshly between his fingers and thumb. The heat of Ten’s mouth did nothing to calm his arousal, simply pushing him to the edge of insanity, the brink of begging before they’d even truly begun and Ten was going to enjoy this far more than he’d thought.

“Keep going.” Ten encouraged, looking up at him with a devious smirk before dipping back down to kiss across Taeyong’s abdomen, licking each prominent rib and suckling on his navel, “Tell me everything.” Ten was at his pants now, slipping the zipper down and pausing when he was blessed with the sight of pale pink lace and expensive-looking silk. Clearly Taeyong had put his courting cheque to good use. Ten looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, Taeyong huffing a short laugh, sighing and slipping a hand into Ten’s hair,

“S-surprise?” He wanted to giggle, but the sound was ripped from his throat as Ten began mouthing his cock through the thin fabric, mouth hot and wet as he struggled to get Taeyong out of his skinny-jeans.

“ _ Jesus- _ ” Ten cut off on a low groan, tossing the jeans aside and smiling at Taeyong’s soft, pale thighs, complimenting those pretty panties, “ _ Fuck _ , you- you’re-” He cut off, nudging Taeyong’s thighs apart to confirm his suspicions. He could smell him, thicker, sweeter a stronger scent, but now he could see the damage already done- Taeyong was leaking, slick and pre-come staining the underwear as he groaned in annoyance, looking down at himself as he flushed, hiding his face.

“These cost a fortune and I’ve already ruined them- I’m- I’m sorry.” Taeyong stuttered embarrassedly, but Ten was back to mouthing at the fabric and licking at the front of his underwear, the dull taste of salty precome on his tongue. Ten slid his hands up his thighs, spreading them wider as he buried his face into Taeyong’s crotch.

“And I’d buy you a million pairs more just to watch you leak like this.” Ten growled, ripping the hem of them with unexpected force as he tore them off, Taeyong whining from his words, “Lay back.” He pushed Taeyong back onto the bed with a firm hand on his chest and Taeyong went willingly, desperately wanting to be manhandled just a little more.

“P-please, Ten, I- I waited all evening. I didn’t even touch myself today.” Taeyong mumbled pathetically into the back of his fist as he twined a hand into Ten’s hair whilst he kissed his thighs.

“Hm, today?” Ten teased, it wasn’t exactly a great achievement, but it was cute that Taeyong thought it was, “Lift your leg for me, baby.” He mumbled into his skin, hands strong and persistent, sometimes bruising, on his thighs. Taeyong lifted his thigh, Ten hitching it up over his shoulder as he leaned in, inhaling Taeyong’s scent at his most intimate part. He breathed over the Omega’s slicked hole before shocking him into a gasp as he buried his face just below his perineum. It was euphoric. Taeyong had been eaten out before, but it was so much better when it was an Alpha- or maybe it was just because it was Ten. He pressed his hips down into the mattress as Ten’s tongue darted out, lapping and slurping audibly at his slick, a soft noise of pleasure humming in the back of his throat at the mere taste of him.

“T-Ten, _f-fuck-_ _yes_ , just-just like that-” Taeyong wasn’t usually a talker during sex, he lived for being on the receiving end of dirty talk and his reciprocation was usually a mix of desperate whines and half-intelligible moans, but right now he couldn’t stop babbling. Ten was groaning his appreciation though, loving how communicative Taeyong was being and desperate to hear more of how good he was making him feel. He briefly wondered whether Taeyong had ever been tongue-fucked to orgasm before, but that was a question for another time. Taeyong whined, one hand in the sheets near his head and the other in Ten’s hair as he tried to roll his hips down onto Ten’s face at the foot of the bed between his thighs. He was just about ready to lose himself properly in the pleasure when Ten pulled away, sucking hickies into his thigh instead, gently lowering his leg back to the mattress and standing from the floor, towel dropping as he hiked Taeyong further up the bed to crawl over him, cage his body beneath his.

“Next time we do that, you’re coming from that alone, but I know you want more than that tonight.” Ten said heavily against his lips, hot breath making Taeyong shiver before he leant in, sharing the taste of his slick between their tongues. Taeyong groaned, Ten gently lowering his hips for the little Omega to get a feel of the size of his cock against his abdomen. They continued like that for a while, Ten’s hands on Taeyong’s chest, sharing saliva as they kissed messily until Taeyong trailed his hand down Ten’s chest and settled it right on his hip bone.

“W-wanna touch you.” The angle was awkward and Taeyong couldn’t properly get a grip of Ten’s cock like this, but  _ god _ , he just wanted to see him, touch him,  _ feel him _ in his hands. Ten smiled against his lips, leaning back before Taeyong got frustrated with himself,

“Anything you want, baby.” Ten said softly, kissing his temple and sitting back on his heels, his cock thick and heavy between his thighs and Taeyong had to swallow down the excess saliva in his mouth to keep himself from drooling.

“I’ve- I’ve never seen a real Alpha cock before.” Taeyong whispered under his breath, pulling himself to a sitting position as he took Ten into his hands, much bigger than him, enough so that he could barely fit his fingers completely around the girth, “ _ Fuck _ , they’re so much better in real life.” He mumbled to himself, Ten enjoying the praise, giggling and cradling the back of Taeyong’s skull gently. He had a wide-eyed curious look on his face that Ten had only seen once from him when they were watching an especially incredible dance performance with their class, it was a wonder that his cock could evoke that same emotion. 

“It’s not that different, don’t flatter me.” Ten laughed, brushing Taeyong’s hair from his face as he looked up in delight. 

“C-can I touch it? Your knot?” Taeyong asked, a hint of excitement in his voice and a bout of slick was building between his ass cheeks at the mere thought of getting to touch it. Ten smirked,

“Go ahead, you’re not going to hurt me.” Ten smiled, watching as Taeyong tentatively jerked him a few times in his hands before trailing closer to the base to fondle his knot, red and thick from arousal, “It’s bigger if I actually use it properly.” He added, biting his lip to stop himself from saying anymore. He wanted to tell Taeyong how it’d stretch him out so good when he knotted him- not  _ if _ , when- but he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready for that yet, Alpha cocks were a lot to take at the best of times, but knots were a whole other thing. 

“H-have you knotted an Omega before?” Taeyong asked quietly, but Ten was smiling, easing his worries with a gentle hand on his jaw. 

“No, baby, I haven’t.” He said, holding Taeyong’s gaze to try and convey the unspoken,  _ but I wouldn’t mind if you were my first _ , “I’m guessing you haven’t been knotted either if this is your first time seeing an Alpha cock.” Ten teased, biting his lip as Taeyong continued his fondling, stroking him steadily in his hands and rubbing delicate fingers over the knot at the base. He seemed to still be fascinated by it, getting used to the size in his grip before he even began to think about it near his ass. He knew Ten would be gentle, he knew he wouldn’t lose control or hurt him, but he was still big and Taeyong still wanted it to feel good. He was sure that was what Ten would want for him too. 

“Just silicone, but knotting dildos don’t look half as good as the real thing.” He marvelled quietly, leaning in to inhale Ten’s scent again, nipping at his neck as he continued jerking him off slowly, paced. 

“D-do you want me to finger you? You’re leaking again, do you want some relief?” He slid a hand down Taeyong’s back, cupping an ass cheek and letting it jiggle in his hand before sliding his thumb between, coating it in his slick almost immediately. Taeyong groaned, nodding urgently as he fell back to the sheets, hair fanning the pillow as he stared up at Ten with his teeth clamped down on his lower lip. He spread his legs almost immediately, giving Ten that same beautiful view from earlier just before he’d eaten him out, but now Taeyong was going to have  _ something _ inside him and that was really all he’d wanted the better half of the night. His shyness from the knot had slipped away and he fell under Ten’s spell again, tension seeping from his body as he relaxed into the sheets, Ten pressing his index finger in at a careful pace, keeping it practically rigid until he was down to his knuckles. Taeyong sighed out in relief, content for all of 30 seconds before he wanted more, wanted Ten to curl his finger upwards and brush his prostate, but he seemed to be adamant on avoiding it and it was starting to make Taeyong irritated. He whined, rolling his hips down and turning them to the left to try and get the top of his index finger to just brush the bundle of nerves inside him, just enough to have him seeing stars, but Ten gripped his hips firmly to stop him. 

“C-come on, please, Ten!” His voice had pitched up a little and he couldn't believe himself for getting this desperate this fast, he’d curse himself out for it later on. Ten paused, graciously guiding Taeyong’s shaking hands to lay over the one he had placed on his hip to keep him against the bed before he pushed two fingers deep into his heat, slick sounding in the quiet room and Taeyong almost didn’t want him to know how good this was already feeling for him. Ten could tell from his scent. He began fucking him slowly on two fingers, Taeyong crying out as Ten refused to hit his prostate, merely stretching his fingers apart and making sure he was relaxed enough before gracing him with a third. Taeyong barely even noticed when Ten’s two fingers became three and Ten was slowly coming to a stop, pulling his fingers out slowly.

“ _ Fuck _ , you’re so pretty, Taeyongie.” Ten lifted his slick-coated fingers in the light, leaning down over Taeyong and placing them against the Omega’s lips, watching with a groan as he sucked his release gratefully. Taeyong was back to rolling his hips down on the bed, fingers scraping bluntly up over Ten’s chest as he gasped, twitching with the need to be filled.

“T-Ten, I w-wanna feel you,  _ please?” _ He was getting desperate, even Ten could tell and he didn’t want to push it if it was Taeyong’s first time with an Alpha, he wanted to make him feel good not ruin it. There was a fine line between too much and not enough and Ten knew that it had to be walked carefully with new Omegas.

“Okay,” Ten breathed, nuzzling Taeyong’s neck as he leant over him, taking his fingers from Taeyong’s mouth and slicking himself up with Taeyong’s release, “You have to tell me if it gets too much, alright?” He confirmed and Taeyong was simply nodding his head in confirmation, blinking up at him with glassy eyes as he begged. Ten slowly guided himself in, pausing at intervals to let Taeyong close his eyes and focus on his breathing, knowing that this was the biggest he’d taken- even in Heat- and hoping that it wouldn’t be too painful once he’d bottomed out.

“F-fuck, are you-?” Taeyong cut off as he finally felt Ten’s thighs press against his ass, sobbing brokenly at the overwhelming sensation of being filled like this. The base of his spine was burning and he was having trouble catching his breath as he got used to it all, but Ten was right there, above him, talking him through it and scenting him until he felt clear-headed enough to form a sentence, “Y-you’re so big. You can m-move, just go slow.” He added, shivering as Ten ran his fingers up and down his sides, soothing his tense shoulders with kisses and gentle hickies that continued to cover his throat. Ten was quiet, nodding and biting his lip as he slowly pulled out halfway, moving back inside him gently and Taeyong was reminded of how much restraint this Alpha must be practicing to not be flipping Taeyong on his front, shoving his face into the mattress and fucking him with reckless abandon.

“God, you feel so good,” Ten finally managed to whisper once they began a slow pace, linking his fingers with Taeyong’s and pinning them gently beside his head as he fucked him gently, “You smell amazing.” And only then did Taeyong realise he was releasing his scent in a way that usually meant  _ fuck me, mark me, breed me _ . He didn’t care to tone it down, he  _ wanted _ this, he wanted  _ Ten _ . He let out a shaky moan as Ten’s cock brushed his prostate, pulling away as soon as it’d been there,

“ _ F-fuck _ , again,  _ please- _ ” Taeyong whined, kicking his hips up to meet Ten’s thrusts, his hands sliding against the sheets, desperate for something to hold onto in order of grounding him. Ten hummed, leaning down to kiss up Taeyong’s neck, breathing heavily against his scent gland and thrusting harder, hitting his prostate dead-on this time. Taeyong let out a throaty sob, his back arching prettily as he tried to catch his breath, squirming as Ten held him by the hips, leaning back to stare down at him as he fucked him into the mattress.

“ _ God _ , you’re so tight, Yongie.” Ten moaned, head tipping back in bliss, fucking into Taeyong at a more reckless pace than how they’d started. He could feel his knot inflating at merely the sight of Taeyong’s little cock bouncing against his stomach, pre-cum smudged against his skin sinfully.

“I-I’m going to come, please let me-  _ Ahh- Alpha- _ !” Taeyong cut off with a moan, his lungs feeling too big for his body as he found his resolve slowly slipping through his fingers, pleasure overriding every sane cell in his body, “Knot me!” Ten could’ve passed out at the plea, but he was still in half his right mind, he knew he couldn’t, it would hurt Taeyong and he still ran the risk of getting pregnant. He couldn’t risk it.

“Fuck, baby, I’m going to come.” Ten groaned, his sweaty bangs hanging over his face as he leant over Taeyong, holding his gaze as he felt his balls tighten to his body, fingers gripping Taeyong’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. Taeyong was sobbing beneath him, tears of pleasure running down his cheeks as he finally reached his high, his orgasm hitting him like a freight train. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head, hands tightening in the sheets, on Ten’s shoulders, his hips bucking upwards as he came untouched over his stomach. He could vaguely hear Ten cursing above him before a sticky warmth filled him, making him feel like his stomach was going to bloat from the build up of slick and semen inside him. He cried out, shoulder pushing into the sheets as arched his back, head turning to the side,

“ _ Ah _ ! T-Ten- Alpha!” He didn’t know what he wanted, didn’t know how to deal with the fact that Ten had come inside him, but not knotted him, his Omega was upset. Ten hushed him once he’d recovered from his orgasm, ghosting his lips over Taeyong’s before trying to pull out, but Taeyong was yelling, grabbing at his hips and shaking his head.

“Taeyong, baby, we have to clean you up. I can’t stay inside you.” Ten tried to reason, knot feeling sore from coming inside an Omega and not knotting him, he’d never felt so uneasy, yet satisfied at the same time.

“N-no! Not- not yet, just a little more.” Taeyong yelped, gripping Ten’s hips with his hands and wishing that he had enough strength in his legs to wrap them around Ten’s waist to keep him in place. Ten groaned, pressing his face into Taeyong’s neck, scenting him and trying not to nip too hard, lest he leave him covered in hickeys. They stayed like that for a good fifteen minutes before Ten hummed a gentle reassurance and pulled out, letting out a soft mewl as he watched Taeyong clench around nothing, slick and cum leaking out of his gaping hold.

“ _ Fuck _ , baby,” Ten could hardly breathe, “Oh God, you look so good.” He could probably go for another round, but Taeyong looked just about set to pass out for now, although he didn’t doubt that they’d be back up at it again in a few hours. Taeyong whimpered softly, letting Ten clean him up as best as he could with a damp cloth, wiping the inside of his thighs and his stomach from cum, before settling down beside him and letting the little Omega curl into his chest.

“That was fucking amazing.” Taeyong mumbled into Ten’s neck, gaining enough strength in his legs to lay one over Ten’s thighs. Ten hummed in agreement, brushing Taeyong’s hair back from his face to press a long kiss to his forehead,

“You were so good, baby.” He praised, wrapping Taeyong up in his arms and kissing his forehead some more. 

“Don’t.” Taeyong said sleepily, “I’ll end up jumping your bones again if you call me that. Let me rest for a bit.” He teased, nuzzling his face into Ten’s scent gland as he let out a laugh, humming his understanding. He knew Taeyong would be up for another round once he’d regained some energy and there was plenty more that Ten had planned for him.

Sicheng had made it into Yuta’s lap, drunkenly rolling his hips down with a mischievous smile playing at his lips. Yuta wasn’t sure he knew that he was doing it,

“Chengie, let's get you some water, I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Yuta mumbled into his neck, but he wasn’t much better himself and Sicheng could tell from just the alcohol on his breath. He took advantage of his neck, inhaling the Alpha scent and rubbing his cheek on the smooth expanse of skin when Yuta moved forward. 

“Here,” Taeil appeared on the couch beside them, two glasses of water in his hands, handing one to Yuta to take a sip from first before he helped Sicheng drink from his glass. Taeil looked away, “Sichengie, you need to take small sips, you’ll make yourself sick otherwise.” He reminded, smiling at Sicheng gently, but Yuta could see that there was a pained look behind his eyes. They hadn’t been the same since Taeil spent his Rut alone, Yuta had noticed it, Sicheng too, but nothing else had been said. They’d carried on as normal, well, as normal as they could. Taeil was willing to admit that it was getting hard to hold himself back from crawling into Yuta’s arms when he awoke at night from bad dreams, he was willing to admit that he missed spending Friday evenings arguing about who the hottest avenger was over a bucket of ice cream and a hand rolled cigarette. He missed Yuta, he wanted Sicheng, everything was so damn  _ confusing _ . 

“Yuta-san, you’re so pretty.” Taeil looked up as Sicheng spoke, slurring his words and staring at Yuta like he was the most precious thing in the world. Taeil couldn’t watch anymore. He stood from his seat with a rough sigh, ready to just about call it a night, he was sure he could nab a spliff off Johnny if he batted his eyelashes enough. 

“W-wait, Taeil, d-don’t go.” Yuta suddenly spoke up, voice small as he gripped Taeil’s wrist to prevent him from leaving and getting high alone. That was all that seemed appealing right now anyway. 

“I don’t want to impose, take him back home, he’s practically coming in his pants.” Taeil joked lightly, trying so hard to keep the bitterness from his voice, but it hurt to lie through his teeth. It’d hurt for a long time now. Yuta looked at him carefully, eyes wide and pleading, trying to tell him something, but he’d had a few too many to read it. 

“Please, Taeil, s-stay?” Yuta stuttered awkwardly, looking a state with Sicheng in his lap, face tucked under his chin to scent him, hand clammy in Taeil’s grip. They were quiet for a moment while Taeil considered, but he knew as soon as Yuta asked that there was no way he could leave when Yuta had asked so prettily. He’d do anything for Yuta, there was no doubt about it, so much so that he’d even break his own heart by watching Yuta get off with another man just to make him happy. 

“Just- Just drink your water.” Taeil gave in pathetically, slumping back down and nudging the glass into Yuta’s hand, trying not to smile too much at Yuta’s sudden influx of pleased, contented scent from him being there. 

“Taeilie,” Sicheng suddenly piped up affectionately, “You always smell so nice.” He slurred, sliding a hand down from Yuta’s shoulder to Taeil’s upper thigh, “A-and your thighs are so pretty.” He added, a little surprised at the discovery, fingers squeezing him through the fabric of his tight jeans. Yuta had said the same, even fucked his thighs one particular Rut and Taeil had struggled to forget it, the look on Yuta’s face as he held Taeil’s thighs together, coming hard and shivering until he was burnt out from orgasms. 

“God, you’re drunk.” Taeil whispered, half to Sicheng and half to himself for letting himself get so caught up in the memory. Sicheng simply giggled, 

“I don’t have to be drunk to know how good your thighs are. I want to mark them up, all pretty with my teeth, would you like that?” Sicheng was staring at Taeil’s lips now and he knew they should stop this before it got out of control, before Yuta started threatening him of stealing  _ his _ Omega. They were all pissed, but Taeil was by far the most sober and he didn’t really feel like being on the receiving end of Yuta’s threats. 

“They look good like that,” Yuta hummed, surprising Taeil with his eyes half closed as he stared at him dazedly, “Really fucking good.” Sicheng let out a groan, still in Yuta’s lap with his hands massaging Taeil’s thigh, creeping higher than before. 

“You’re both drunk, come on, let’s get you two home to a room.” Taeil tried to take Sicheng’s hand, fingers dancing across his knuckles, but Yuta had held him down with an inquisitive gaze. He looked almost suspicious and Taeil knew that right now was not the time or place to have a heart-to-heart, nor for him to begin digging around for answers to his suspicions. 

“Why couldn’t I help you during Rut-?” Yuta began, but Taeil was standing up, pulling away from both of them and turning to try and calm himself down before he gave an answer. 

“Yuta, not now, let’s go.” Taeil said firmly, a hint of an Alpha tone to his voice and it had Yuta shying away, but Sicheng looked eager. 

“Finding out that you two fuck is the best thing to happen all night,  _ shit _ .” Sicheng breathed sharply through his teeth, a groan threatening his lips as he looked at Taeil lustfully. Yuta had the same sort of look in his eyes, but it was sadder, more broken. 

“Sicheng, this isn’t a conversation for now, you’re both drunk and it’s- it’s- let’s just not talk about it.” Taeil tried, sighing in defeat as he became lost for an explanation. Yuta stood, Sicheng slipping off his lap, his arms still around Yuta’s neck as he walked them over to Taeil.

“When  _ can _ we have this conversation, then?” Yuta asked huskily, a hand still firm around Sicheng’s waist, accentuating his curves and it left Taeil a little breathless when Yuta pulled him in to do the same. 

“Yuta-” He began, but Sicheng was reaching towards him, grabbing him by the tie and kissing him firmly on his lips, tongue dipping out to taste him, sharing the flavour of vodka-tonic he’d been sipping on earlier. Somewhere beside him, Taeil could hear Yuta groaning, his scent spiking and fingers tightening against his waist as Yuta pulled him in properly. Sicheng’s fingers had found purchase on his jaw, teasing his lips apart to lick into his mouth properly now and Taeil realised how fast it’d turned dirty-  _ God, _ he  _ loved _ it. 

“Are you going to admit it already? You’re the last one, you know?” Sicheng mumbled against his lips, a smile apparent in his voice as Taeil tried to chase after the kiss, to bring him back against his mouth, to tangle their tongues together. 

“Admit what?” Taeil asked innocently, fingers hesitantly reaching for the Omega in front of him, Sicheng obliged. 

“Admit that you fell for him, fell for us. You’re a complete and utter goner, Taeil, it’s written all over your face.” Sicheng said smugly, curling his fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, leaning in to nose at his scent gland this time, leaving him staring in shock at Yuta. 

“He’s right, it is written all over your face.” Yuta chuckled softly, the hand on Taeil’s hip tightening possessively as he leant in closer, “I knew how you felt, I’ve known for a long time. I felt it too.” Yuta mumbled, his voice surprisingly clear considering the amount of alcohol he’d consumed. Taeil didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do or how this would work or where he fit in, but Yuta had feelings for him and, if the loving way Sicheng was scenting his neck was anything to go by, then Sicheng did too. Yuta noticed his flare of panicked scent before he had even acknowledged it himself, soothing him quietly and Sicheng was doing the same, mumbling praise into his neck before pulling away to let Yuta kiss him. They’d kissed a lot of times, all in Rut and sticky with cum and sweat and saliva drying between them, but this was almost innocent in comparison. Taeil felt like he was kissing a new person, a cleaner, gentler, more loving Alpha than before and Yuta was conveying enough of that emotion through his fingertips alone, holding his waist tighter still, firm and persistent. 

“Let’s go home, Taeil was right. We need a room.” Yuta mumbled, looking at Sicheng who was staring up at them both in awe, nodding eagerly as he grabbed their hands. 

“He’s gone.” Donghyuck said into Mark’s neck as they danced against one another, Lucas and Hendery nearby. 

“Hm?” Mark asked, slurring the sound as he tipped his head back to look at Hyuck without unravelling his arms from his waist. Haechan had been his first a lot of things, but right now he was back to being Mark’s first most confusing game. He was difficult to unravel at times and it was a struggle to get him to voice what he was thinking- and that was soberly. 

“Johnny, he’s gone.” Donghyuck said, sounding a little dejected now, “He left with that Omega girl.” He went on, biting his lip and frowning in confusion. He was sure that Johnny liked Mark, he could read the signs from a mile away, so why was he leaving with some other Omega. 

“Don’t care.” Mark mumbled, kissing Donghyuck’s neck, “I’m over it.” He laughed at how cliché it all was, there was a lot more to undig before he could really,  _ truly _ be over any of this. 

“Did you think about him? In Heat?” Haechan asked mischievously and if Mark wasn’t so pissed he would’ve smacked him round the head for that. 

“No, I thought about you though.” Mark said a little guiltily, but Hyuck was beaming, nuzzling Mark before pulling back with his arms still slung around his shoulders, a dirty grin on his face. Donghyuck had been the one to teach Mark most things, but they never went further than getting each other off with their hands and mouths. 

“Oh yeah? What a waste, you could’ve dreamed up a nice Alpha to come and fuck you so full of come that you couldn’t walk for weeks.” He teased, Mark biting his lip at the thought before he brushed the idea off. His eyes darted over Hyuck’s shoulder towards Lucas with his head thrown back, laughing at Hendery with that big, puppy grin on his face, “Or maybe you  _ did _ dream up a nice Alpha to come and fuck you properly.” Donghyuck went on teasing, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

“I didn’t exactly want him to fuck me, but he was nice and we get along. He’s just not-” Mark began, shrugging it off, but Donghyuck was cutting in.

“He’s not  _ Johnny _ , yes, yes we know.” He rolled his eyes playfully and Mark was baring his teeth, growling like an angry pup, but it just made Hyuck laugh some more. 

“Yes, of course he’s not Johnny, that’s the good part here!” Mark shot back, suddenly freezing up as a familiar scent came closer, “H-Haechan, I thought you said he’d l-left.” He suddenly dropped his voice, looking over Hyuck’s shoulder to see Johnny at the side of the dance floor, blazer abandoned and shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows. His hair was tousled, fallen from the way it’d been styled out of his face earlier, as Mark met his eyes. He looked away quickly, pulling Donghyuck tighter against his body. 

“What? Johnny? Yeah, he left with that girl, why?” He asked in surprise, looking at Mark, but Mark was hiding his face in Hyuck’s neck, desperate to not be seen despite having been noticed already. Johnny would be able to smell him anyway, there was no point.

“He’s over there, Hyuck, he’s-he’s looking at us.” Mark mumbled into his shoulder, jerking his head and playing it off as a roll of his neck. Haechan looked to the side, meeting Johnny’s eyes and groaning.

“Let me at least talk to him? He was my friend too.” Haechan asked hesitantly, but Mark was nodding, not once having tried to stop him from it that evening, but now Johnny was… alone. For the first time all night, he was alone and Mark had almost forgotten what his arm looked like without someone clinging onto it.

“Of course, go ahead.” Mark said smoothly, smiling at him encouragingly, but Donghyuck wasn’t moving. 

“I meant with you.” He clarified, pulling back to link their fingers together instead, nosing at Mark’s jaw temptingly. Mark sighed, he knew this was Haechan’s attempt at persuasion and usually he could barely ever say no, but right now he needed to think. He knew Johnny wasn’t dangerous, but they were both very drunk, very affectionate Omegas and he reckoned that Lucas was probably also too pissed to throw a straight punch at him this time-  _ if it came to that. _

“F-fine,” Mark gave in when Haechan nipped at his scent gland, causing it to positively flare in arousal, “J-just stop teasing me and give me a moment to get my scent under control. He can probably smell me from here, you dick.” He inhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind like he’d been taught all those years ago. Haechan watched him, brushing his bangs from his eyes and dragging him off the dance floor towards Johnny before Mark could start regretting his decision. Haechan knew him too well. 

“So, were you going to say hi or did the Omega girl have something better worth your time?” He stepped up to Johnny with a raised eyebrow, Mark hanging back a little as Haechan settled in front of him, uncaring to his status and the very distinct height difference. Johnny stared at him blankly for a moment, before cracking a small smile, hands itching to hold Haechan as he stared down at him, smiling carefully at Mark over his shoulder. 

“It’s good to see you, Hyuck.” He said quietly, trying not to come across too Alpha, “You’ll be right next door, both of you. It’ll be like old times again.” Johnny said, looking between them with an uncomfortable sort of smile, careful, hesitant and unsure. 

“It won’t be like old times, Johnny, let’s not forget that you’re- well,  _ you _ .” Donghyuck wished he could’ve said it like it was a joke, but he was being completely serious, “I really trusted that you’d take care of him while I was away, you know. I thought you’d look after him and-” Hyuck began rapidly, Johnny trying not to show all of his remorse in his expression alone, but Mark’s reaction was telling him that he wasn’t doing a great job of it. Mark stepped forward, a gentle hand on Haechan’s back and distantly, Johnny thought about how this was the closest they’d been since the beginning of the semester. This was the closest all three of them had been in  _ years _ . 

“Haechanie, it’s fine, I don't need looking after.” Mark tried to laugh it off, but Johnny was staring at him with those big, sorry eyes, too much emotion for one person to hold. 

“Yes! You did and I should’ve been there, but I couldn’t. Johnny is the guilty one, he was here, but he- he abandoned you, Mark. We were friends! You were our friend!” Haechan was yelling at Johnny now, everything having escalated all too fast, tears filling his eyes at the reminder because being this close to Johnny had brought up a lot and Haechan was not only being reminded of all he’d missed, but all they’d shared together too. A small group of onlookers had begun to gather around Johnny, like a pack of wolves ready to pounce and attack, defend their noble leader, but Johnny was blinking this time, suddenly looking sobered. 

“Let’s- lets get out of here. I want to talk properly.” Johnny suggested, placing his glass aside and offering to lead the way, but Mark was surprising him, voice clear as he spoke,

“No.” He stared blankly at his feet, hair hiding his face. 

“W-What? Mark, please, just for a little while. I’m not done yelling yet.” Haechan pleaded, biting his tongue and sliding his hands onto Mark’s shoulders, causing him to look up hesitantly, lips parted and eyes blown wide like he was afraid of Johnny. Haechan wanted to do more than yell if this is what Johnny had done to him. 

“Mark? I- I really want to talk about this. I’ve got a joint in my blazer, you can come back in right afterwards. I-I won’t bother you again after that.” Johnny said, sadness apparent in his voice as he looked at Mark with a pained expression, like it was difficult to see him like this. Mark couldn’t quite understand why- Johnny didn’t care, Johnny  _ never _ cared. 

“Five minutes, Johnny, I’ve wasted enough time over you already.” Mark grit out, staring daggers at him before leading them to the alleyway backdoor, Johnny scrambling for his blazer out the corner of his eye. Haechan was close behind, hands on his waist, but Mark was giving him a look, “This is your fault if things go wrong. I mean it.” He said shortly, a displeased look furrowing his eyebrows. Tonight should’ve been fun, Johnny-free, dancing with Haechan and probably ending the night with him on his knees for Mark, but Johnny had always been one to ruin things. 

“Control your scent, I was hoping for that too, but this is just how things turned out. It doesn’t mean we can’t have fun later on.” Hyuck squeezed his hip, Mark startling from his words, a question on his tongue, but Johnny was nearing them, pushing the door open for them to stumble outside. Mark gave Hyuck another look, shaking his head a little to get him to drop the topic around Johnny. 

“Y-you can carry on, Haechan-ah, whatever you have to say, I can take it.” Johnny mumbled, pulling the spliff and lighter out to hand to Mark, “I’ve never realised more than right now that I’m alone. Everyone around me, all the people who have stayed close to me in uni- none of them even matched half of what you both meant to me.” His voice was a tone quieter, huskier than before and Mark could see a great level of sincerity in his eyes. He didn’t like that. It felt too real.

“ _ Fuck _ , I want to punch you so much.” Donghyuck’s anger renewed at the monologue, “You can’t do this anymore, Johnny, we’re grown now. You’ve- you’ve done this spiel a million times, like the boy who cried wolf and guess where it’s landed us? Right back here, with the same apology on your lips.  _ Nothing fucking changes _ .” He was practically seething, running through the things Johnny must’ve missed out on-  _ Mark’s highschool graduation, his college application and letter of acceptance, his football games, his birthdays- his presentation.  _ Johnny hadn’t been there for him when he presented, if anything it’d been an awful response if Mark and the rest of the group were so hell-bent on dancing around the topic. He hadn’t even been there for presentation, his Heats could be helped, but his  _ presentation _ . Mark must’ve been distraught. 

“Hit me. I won’t fight back, Hyuck.” Johnny said roughly, Mark watching everything pan out with the joint between his fingers. Mark shook his head at Haechan, he knew it wasn’t a good idea to anger an Alpha, especially not a drunk Alpha. 

“Hyuck’s right, you do this every time. We never know when you really mean it and when you’re just going to fuck us over again. I- I needed you, Johnny, I just needed my friend.” Mark spoke solemnly, dropping his eyes to the pavement and Haechan was taking a hit from the joint, angrily breathing out through tight lips. Johnny’s scent had turned damp, sad, sorrowful. It was easier to read him like this, with a scent and all, but that didn’t change the fact that he was still famous for doing this. 

“Hit me, Haechan, I mean it.” If anything, Johnny needed it just to feel the pain, let the weight of Mark’s words settle in. Hyuck didn’t need further prompting as he lunged forward, pushing him up against the brick wall with a fist in his shirt,

“I can’t believe you, I really can’t believe you, Johnny.” Haechan growled, forcefully pushing his shoulders back against the wall, teeth clacking as his head hit the brick behind him. Johnny didn’t fight back, didn’t even flinch when Haechan swung at him, hitting him square in the jaw with his knuckles and Mark still couldn’t seem to get his feet to move and stop him, “You should’ve been there! You should’ve held him and scented him and told him it’d be okay when he presented! You should’ve stuck by his side and calmed his crying when things got rough. You should’ve waited for his Heat to end and brought him food and taken care of him until he could think straight again. You should’ve fucking been there, Johnny, because that’s what friends do for each other!” Donghyuck had thrown a fair few punches during his spiel, Johnny’s shirt rumpled and blood dripping down his face, lip busted and swollen and Haechan still wanted to ruin him some more because  _ Mark deserved better. _ Mark deserved the whole damn world and some, but he’d been abandoned and forgotten and left behind by someone who was supposedly their friend. It was a full five minutes before Mark’s senses returned to him, staring blankly at the dark pavement and looking up when the white noise began to fade, Johnny’s soft grunts of pain cutting through. This time when he tried to move, his legs let him and he grabbed pathetically at Haechan’s wrist to stop a punch at Johnny’s eye,

“Stop it, Hyuck! It-it’s not worth it.” He should’ve said it sooner, should’ve stopped him before it got this far, but now Donghyuck was looking at him in despair, turning and flinging his arms around his neck, muffled apologies being whispered into his ear and Mark was suddenly aware he’d been crying, face sticky with tears as he pressed himself against Haechan. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Johnny slide down the wall in defeat, huffing his exhaustion in a cloud of cold breath. He dropped his head in his hands, crouching on the ground to spit blood. 

“‘M sorry, Mark, I didn’t mean to make you cry, I’m sorry...” Haechan was babbling, but Mark had other concerns as he untangled the Omega from him, smiling at him sadly in forgiveness. He crouched down opposite Johnny, tears still running down his face as he lifted Johnny’s chin with gentle fingers, cringing at the busted lip. Johnny had never looked this defeated, this broken before. 

“Haechan, we’re going home.” He said over his shoulder, turning back to Johnny as he looked up to meet his gaze, a glistening of tears evident in Johnny’s eyes, “You meant it, didn’t you?” Mark asked quietly, throat burning from his sobs. Johnny nodded,

“I’m sorry, Markie, I’m so sorry-” He began, slowly dissolving as he succumbed to his tears, blinking them out the corner of his eyes. 

“Then let's take you home and get you cleaned up.”

Mark had left his room a state and he was beginning to regret that when he led Haechan and Johnny inside. Hyuck had refused to talk to either of them on the taxi ride home, Johnny silently paying and dumbly following after both Omegas as they made their way upstairs. Now was a worse time than ever to hear half the Sorority pack moaning, but they didn’t have anywhere else to go- the Frat would probably be just as worse.

“Sit down.” Mark said bluntly, sweeping a handful of clothes and accessories off his bed and dumping them on his desk as Johnny and Haechan stood across from one another in silence. Donghyuck looked like he wanted to leave, but he couldn’t bear to let Mark brave it alone with Johnny, Mark was half grateful for that. He also didn’t want to sleep alone tonight. Johnny perched awkwardly on the edge of Mark’s bed as Hyuck made towards the bedside table, rifling through his drawers to look for a pack of cigarettes. Mark always kept a box in his bedside cabinet,  _ in case I get stressed _ , Mark had told him when he’d questioned it. It took some trial and error to find them, biting his tongue to stop himself from commenting on the dildos in the bottom drawer, but Johnny had also noticed them if the pink in his cheeks was an indication.

“Give me a light.” Hyuck demanded, sticking his hand out to Johnny as he gave up looking for Mark’s. He was angry and stressed and he just wanted to leave. Johnny slid his lighter into his open palm staring up at him with sorrow in his eyes, but Hyuck was turning on his heel and clicking the balcony door open without looking back. Mark sighed, watching the interaction pan out before shuffling into the bathroom to find a First Aid kit.

“I was never happier than when I was with you two.” Johnny was staring at his hands when Mark came back into the room, kneeling down in front of Johnny as he listened, “I can’t even understand myself, can’t understand what I’ve become. You were right to hate me, I should’ve known what sort of person I’d become if I kept this up.” Johnny finished quietly, tears collecting in his eyes again, but Mark could see that he was desperately trying to contain them. He dabbed a gauze in antiseptic solution, pressing it just below the cut on Johnny’s lip. He hissed in a breath before relaxing a moment later, eyes downturned as Mark concentrated.

“You were always like this. Haechan and I were just holding you back. You can’t change who you are to try and stay with us, you know.” Mark said softly, brushing Johnny’s hair back from his eyes, crispy with hairspray, “I’ve had time to think, Haechan hasn’t. He’ll come around.” He added quietly, looking over Johnny’s shoulder to where Donghyuck leant his forearms on the balcony balustrade, flicking ash into Mark’s fern plant.

“What about you? Did you come around?” Johnny asked, eyes dull with lost hope as Mark pursed his lips, choosing not to reply as he tossed the gauze in the trash, “That’s what I thought.” Johnny sighed quietly, Mark uncapping a tube of arnica to apply to his bruises.

“You didn’t make it easy for me, Johnny. I was- I was terrified of myself when you said those things to me at the party. I was terrified of being an Omega.” Mark murmured, not meeting Johnny’s eyes as he ran the ointment over the Alpha’s cheekbone, moving to do the same over the bridge of his nose. He’d cleaned it up earlier in the cab, but there was still an amount of dried blood around his nostrils.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, hesitantly reaching for Mark’s face, desperate to make him meet his eyes, “I’m sorry about everything, especially that night. Lucas was right to have hit me, so was Haechan, but it should’ve been you. It should’ve been you who hurt me, the same way I hurt you, it should’ve been you.” Mark tried not to occupy his mind with any alternative meanings, but Johnny was looking at him so tenderly that it was hard not to. Mark pulled away, standing up and sighing, tongue in his cheek as he thought for a moment,

“Take your shirt off.” He replied bluntly, ointment still in his hands and Johnny was giving him an incredulous look before he understood, “Haechanie hit you pretty hard and you were breathing funny earlier. I need to check there’s no broken ribs.” He added, swallowing dryly as Johnny slowly unbuttoned his shirt, his blazer already discarded on the bed from when Hyuck had asked for a lighter.

“It doesn’t hurt that much, I’m fine, Mark.” Johnny replied carefully, getting to the last button and watching Mark’s expression carefully. He looked sort of pained, sort of confused as he stared at Johnny’s chest, “Hey, are you- are you okay? You look pale.” Johnny frowned, watching Mark swallow shallowly before shaking his head and moving back in to press at each of Johnny’s ribs with tentative fingers. He probably looked pale because he was trying so hard to hold back his stupid, all-telling scent, but Johnny didn’t need to know that.

“I’m fine, it’s nothing.” Mark said carefully, rubbing ointment into a blossoming bruise and watching as Johnny flinched under his touch every so often. They were quiet for a while, Mark desperately hoping that Donghyuck’s acceptance for Johnny would speed up a little- preferably within the next few minutes- so he could come and break this awkward silence, but then again, Mark’s had taken almost three months and the truth was that it hadn’t even finished.

“What’s it like being an Omega? You don’t have to answer, I just- I missed out on so much.” Johnny said after a long stretch of silence, fingers curling gently into the sheets at his side as Mark pressed on another bruise. Mark paused a moment, thinking the question through before finishing up with the ointment, packing the supplies away.

“Not how I’d expected.” He said shortly, pausing for a long enough time that Johnny thought they’d dropped the topic, but he spoke up again as he returned from the bathroom, “It’s- it’s calmer, sweeter, everything is different. Lucas and Kun took care of me after Heat, it felt so good, different to how Lucas had explained Rut and I realised that it wasn’t so bad being an Omega. I hated myself for presenting like this, blocked out my orientation for as long as I could, but Kun once told me how the only person I’d be hurting was myself and I realised that I’d had enough of hurting. I just wanted to be happy.” And Johnny had never wanted to hold Mark more than in this moment with Mark fiddling with his fingers, eyeliner smudged from crying earlier and foot tapping anxiously on the floor. Johnny stood up, afraid he’d scare him off as he stepped closer to place a gentle hand on Mark’s neck,

“I’ve missed you so much.” It was killing him to not take Mark into his arms and hold him until he fell asleep, but they were barely on stable ground just yet and Mark was still shaking anxiously under his fingers, “You suit it, being an Omega, it suits you. I don’t know why I ever said otherwise, you look- you’re so pretty.” Johnny couldn’t place why exactly he’d said it, but he was glad he had as he was rewarded with a gush of Mark’s pretty scent, his shoulders relaxing slowly and Johnny felt the slightest bit better about everything- until he suddenly didn’t. His scent spiked dangerously and Johnny was stumbling back, eyes widening in confusion. Mark bit his tongue as he felt it, that familiar yet foreign stir in the bottom of his stomach, but there had been no build up to it, it was just suddenly-

“I- I’ll be just a second.” He breathed heavily, rushing to the en-suite and locking the door quickly behind him. A stab of pain shot through his stomach as he bent over the sink, gripping the edge of porcelain in a tight grip as he stared himself down in the mirror. There was a line of sweat dripping down his temple, not even realising how hot he’d been until he’d acknowledged his scent and now he was tearing his shirt over his head, letting out a shaky breath and splashing his face with cold water. He kept telling himself that he’d be fine, he could go back out and tell Johnny that they should call it a night with a normal scent and a steady heartbeat and-  _ God _ , his pants were soaked. He gasped, face scrunching in distress as he turned in the mirror, slick staining right through his underwear and pants.  _ Okay, well maybe I can’t go out there _ , he thought dumbly, begging his mind to supply him with something a little more to work with. Another bout hit him right through his stomach, thighs shaking where he stood as he desperately tried to keep any more slick from dripping down his thighs. He could still smell Johnny’s scent, barely there, lingering on his collar from where he’d held him. He slid down the wall, shivering and gasping pathetically, he was barely even sober, he couldn’t be going into Heat-  _ not now, please not now _ . When he looked down at his hands in his lap he could see them shaking distinctly, the discomfort in his skinny jeans causing him to ruck them off, underwear sticking wetly against his skin, it still felt like too much clothing, but Johnny was right next door and in that moment he was unconsciously reminded that Kun hadn’t done a Heat check before they’d left that night and his was right on damn time.


	2. Chapter 2

Johnny knew exactly two things about Omegas; one, they can take a lot more than Alphas can expect from them and two, their scents go absolutely haywire just before and during Heat. Johnny sat back on the bed, breathing heavily as he tried his best to control himself, there were other Alpha scents in the house and that was only stressing him out more, making him feel protective over Mark. He flinched, jumping to his feet as Haechan opened the french doors, arms wrapped around himself from the cold as he came inside.

“Okay, I’m- I think I’m ready to t-” Hyuck began, cutting off as he caught the scent, eyes blowing wide as he flew into action, “Shit, shit, shit, you need to go. He’s- he’s in Heat, I’ll take care of him, just go.” Johnny was staring at Hyuck with an alarmed gaze, buttoning his shirt and grabbing his blazer from the bed.

“Haechan, will he- is he going to be okay? I can call someone, Kun or Jungwoo if you don’t want to-” Johnny asked, pulling his phone from his pocket, but Donghyuck was walking towards him, resting his hands on his chest and giving him a firm look.

“We did this a few times in highschool, and that was before he was an Omega, I think I’ll be fine now too.” Haechan explained, missing Johnny’s surprised expression as he turned to the bathroom, waiting on Mark to unlock the door and slipping inside. Johnny stayed frozen in the doorway, shivering as Mark’s Heat scent wrapped around him, settling hot under his skin as he heard a soft whine from behind the door. His heart was beating too fast and his head was spinning just a little bit, but he forced himself to move towards the door, quickly leaving down the corridor before the scent got to him.

“Shh, I’m here, it’s okay- hey, don’t try and move, I’m here now.” Donghyuck soothed, falling to his knees beside Mark and taking his face between his hands, “Okay, this is your second Heat, right?” He asked gently, watching as Mark nodded, lips bitten red and hands clenched into fists against the tiled floor. Haechan hummed softly, standing to dampen a towel with cold water, bringing it back and setting it against Mark’s forehead. He was still in his underwear, soaked through with slick and pre-come and Hyuck wondered why he hadn’t taken them off already. 

“J-Johnny, I didn’t tell Johnny.” Mark tried to explain, fingers reaching deftly for Haechan’s thigh as he knelt back down beside Mark. The thick of his fever would pass soon enough, but right now it felt unbearable.

“He didn’t need to be told, he could’ve smelt you from a mile away.” Donghyuck smiled gently, holding the towel to his head, his other hand on Mark’s shoulder, thumb tracing his collarbone, “I sent him home, he didn’t seem to like the fact that I’d be helping you. His scent went all sharp and sour, it was a little funny, I have to say.” Hyuck smiled a bit wider, Mark smiling a little himself before the heat in his stomach became unbearable again and he splayed a hand over his abdomen. 

“ _ Ahh _ , it hurts more this time, b-but I feel a little more lucid.” Mark mumbled after a moment of silence filled with only his heavy breathing and Haechan’s hushing. He nodded his understanding,

“Johnny asked if he should call one of the other Omegas, should I let them know?” He asked gently, flipping the cloth over and pressing it to his neck, right over his scent gland. Mark shook his head,

“I’ve got you, it’s fine.” Haechan soothed as Mark began fucking his hips up into nothing, groaning and whipping his head back against the wall. 

“Let’s-  _ uh- _ can we just get s-started?  _ God _ , I- I can’t wait the fever out any longer, I need a distraction.” Mark reached for Haechan with both hands, one resting on the inside of his thigh and the other on his waist. Hyuck nodded, standing and tossing the towel in the sink before helping Mark to his feet, legs shaky and Haechan found himself half-carrying Mark out the bathroom. 

“I’ve only done one Heat before so if you need something, you have to ask, I’m not as well versed as you.” Haechan smiled, letting Mark collapse into the mattress and lay back with a dazed look about him, turning his face to inhale Johnny’s scent with a groan. Mark nodded, parting his thighs on the bed and looking at Donghyuck through half-lidded eyes, his face obscured from where it was pressed into the sheets, breathing Johnny’s scent in. It smelt too good, too perfect and fresh and he wanted Johnny more in that moment than ever before. Haechan watched him, smiling as he realised Mark gulping down lungfuls of Alpha scent, instinctive, but cute all the same. 

“F-finger me, Hyuckie?” Mark asked boldly, wiggling his hips against the sheets, damp boxers getting far too uncomfortable for his liking and it made Donghyuck cringe at the thought of being sat in his own slick for so long. 

“I never thought I’d hear you say those words,  _ God, _ it’s hot though.” Haechan groaned, sliding the waistband of Mark’s boxers down his legs and flicking them onto the floor, parting Mark’s legs all too quickly. He was still soaked in slick, but it was better than being stuck in sticky boxers and Haechan was amused with his little sigh of relief. 

“I just- I- need something,  _ please, Hyuck _ .” Mark whimpered, legs spread, pink hole clenching prettily around nothing and Hyuck wondered how Mark had gotten so lucky in the beauty-department. There was a sort-of boyish charm to him that was adherently Mark and it reminded Haechan that this was the same boy who’d tentatively put his hand on Haechan’s jaw and kissed him all those years ago. 

“I’ll take care of you, alright? I’m going to look after you.” Haechan reassured, slipping down to suck at Mark’s left nipple, hands smoothing up and down his inner thighs before tapping gently at his slicked hole, “You need to be good, though, can you be a good boy for me?” He pinched the nipple between his front teeth, watching in amusement as Mark yelped out his arousal. He nodded enthusiastically, catching more of Johnny’s scent and nosing further up the sheets where it was more concentrated and not as faded as the previous spot he’d been scenting. 

“I c-can be good, I can be so good, Hyuckie.” Mark was slipping under now, headspace falling into the hands of his Omega and Haechan knew this would be fun, but he wasn’t expecting it to be  _ this _ fun. 

“Mh, are you enjoying yourself? Covering yourself in Alpha scent? Does it smell good, baby?” Haechan questioned, slipping his index finger in and starting the motions as he began to prep Mark easily. It was strange to think that this was the first time they were doing this, Mark had never wanted to go this far before, but now they had to and it seemed like he wanted it. 

“I w-want him- want Johnny-Hyung. Alpha left me.” Mark pouted, but there were no tears which Hyuck was grateful for. They’d had enough tears for tonight. 

“No, baby, Alpha just needed to leave before he lost control. You know that, right? You know that Alphas can barely handle themselves when they smell your Heat scent? That’s what you do to them, so you have to be careful.” Haechan soothed, suddenly realising that they hadn’t locked the door. He'd gotten Mark stretched on two fingers now, but he was pulling out to cross the room and click the latch so they wouldn’t be disturbed, “But Johnny’s scent smells good to you?” He added as he came back to bed, sitting between Mark's thighs and sliding two fingers back into him, scissoring him open at a slow pace. Mark nodded again. 

“He smells so good- w-want more, want more of his scent, Hyuckie.” Mark pleaded nonsensically, practically licking the sheets of his lasting scent. 

“If you can give me five orgasms before the sun rises then I’ll call him to bring you one of his sweaters. How about that?” Donghyuck thought aloud, looking to the French doors then to the clock on Mark’s bedside, 5:42am- the sun rose in two hours. 

“I- I can do it, I’m good, I can do it.” Mark assured him, bucking his hips down onto Haechan’s fingers and breathing out shakily as he curled them upwards, just short of his prostate. Haechan praised him, nodding his approval and adding a third finger. He stretched him out, leaning over his body and grabbing a handful of dildos he’d seen in the bottom drawer earlier, tossing them onto the bed, beside his hips. Mark wasn’t sure how he was going to last all Heat with Haechan teasing him,

Johnny sat on the edge of his bed, panting like he’d run a marathon, elbows resting on his knees. Mark’s scent was still on him and it made him growl out loud, a full, deep sound from right in his chest. He flopped back against the sheets, chest rising and falling in quick succession as he reminded himself of the way Mark had touched him, so gentle, so hesitant. He wished it had been more persistent, he wished it hadn’t been in a medical sense. He swallowed at the idea, his pants already tented from just the scent alone, he didn’t know how much more he could take of Mark just simply  _ existing _ . It was past 6am now and only one couple down the hallway were still up making noise from what Johnny could hear, other than that, he was alone with his thoughts and Mark seemed to be occupying a great deal of them. His fingers were at his belt before he could even think about it, making the conscious decision to jerk off to Mark was one he’d only made once before and that was back in highschool. He knew he’d only ruin himself if he kept it as a constant, made a habit out of it and he didn’t think that it was worth losing a friend over. Now, however, was different. Vastly different. Now, Mark was an Omega, a beautiful Omega who was in Heat right now with someone  _ else _ between his thighs- someone that  _ wasn’t _ Johnny. He couldn’t deny that it made him a little mad, but the overriding sensation was arousal right now and as he pulled his cock from beneath the waistband of his underwear he couldn’t help but think about how Mark was probably doing the same, a bathroom door between them, just 10 minutes ago. He let his eyes drift shut, hand tight around the base of his cock as he thought about the little Omega, on his knees in the bathroom, head thrown back as he fingered himself open, fucked his fist roughly. Johnny could imagine it so clearly, little Mark with tears in his eyes as he came, body shivering and jolting as he rode out his orgasm, begging for more. And Johnny would give it to him. He swiped his thumb over his slit, spreading the pre-come down half his length to lubricate the motion, hissing in a breath as he felt his knot begin to form, hardly even there, but he could feel it throbbing just above his balls. He stretched an arm out, blindly patting the sheets for the lube he’d placed under his pillow in preparation for tonight, squeezing some into his hand before sliding his fist over himself, tight and wet, but distinctly not what he wanted,  _ needed _ . It wasn’t Mark, it’d never be Mark. He groaned, turning his face to the side to clamp his teeth into the pillow, knot building faster and tension building deep in his gut. All he could think of was Mark; bouncing in his lap, bent over his desk, against the shower wall, pressed into the glass of his French windows-  _ God _ , this wasn’t good for Johnny’s sanity, he’d never look at Mark the same after imagining him with his ass up, face down in  _ his _ bed, dressed in  _ his _ sweater and smelling of  _ his _ scent. Johnny came quick at the thought of it,  _ fuck _ , he wanted Mark. He wanted to cover him in his scent and kiss him and fuck him and fall asleep with the Omega’s head on his chest. He wanted him here, now, in his lap, on his knees, with his mouth on his, he wanted him. He looked down at his body, dazed, as he finished himself off, knot fully swollen and throbbing almost painfully, begging him to knot someone. He sighed, come-covered hand hovering over his hips before he sat up to kick his pants off completely, moving to the bathroom to clean up, only pausing while drying his hand as a text sounded on his phone. His excitement took over before he reminded himself that he had neither Mark nor Haechan’s numbers saved anymore, he almost ignored Jaehyun’s message until he noticed Mark’s name in the preview of the text on his lock screen. 

_ Haechan asked you to bring some of your sweaters for Mark’s nest. I can give them to Kun to take, Mark’s scent’s flooded the whole floor. _

Jaehyun awoke to Kun kissing up his neck with a sigh, hips rolling against his leg, but he was quick to put a stop to it, firm hands holding him still by the waist. 

“No, you’re still sore, no way.” He mumbled sleepily, looking up at Kun bleary-eyed. They’d gone at least four rounds last night and Kun had been in and out of it on the last one, whimpering and telling him how it hurt, that he loved it and that he should keep going, but Jaehyun was putting him in sexile for a very long time after that. 

“I’m not that sore, you can be gentle.” Kun tempted, nuzzling his cheekbone and licking his earlobe, voice pitched low and purposefully sexy. Jaehyun laughed softly,

“We both know that I can’t.” He joked, sitting them both up, gentle with Kun who was sat over his waist, rutting into his thigh, “I’ll blow you in the shower if you’re still horny, but no more fucking. You’re positively going to lose it.” Jaehyun promised, brushing his hair from his eyes and lifting Kun into his arms to carry him to the bathroom. 

“Mh, that sounds nice.” Kun mumbled, letting himself be sat on the edge of the sink whilst he waited for the water to warm up. Jaehyun tapped the light on, sticking his foot under the spray and humming,

“Come on, it should be warm enough now.” Jaehyun helped him walk into the shower, fingers slipping on the glass wall to support himself, but Jae was doing most of the work to keep him upright, “Let me clean you up first.” He spoke, gently guiding Kun under the spray of water, hands on his waist and ass and Kun wanted to groan, but Jaehyun was spinning him around and dropping to his knees, face level with Kun’s ass as he spread his cheeks.

“I thought you were going to blow me.” Kun deadpanned, knowing that Jaehyun wouldn’t dare eat him out after being so utterly wrecked like this. Jaehyun was quiet for a while, inhaling sharply at the damage he’d done on Kun, but it was all bound to heal, nothing would leave a lasting scar. Kun’s pretty hole did look good like this though, Jaehyun couldn’t deny how much he liked seeing Kun all marked up and pretty, smelling distinctly of his scent. His ass was bruised from spanking and Jaehyun couldn’t deny he hadn’t been rough with him when he was as bratty as he was last night. Then there was his hole, all pink and stretched and gaping enough for Jaehyun to easily slip three fingers into him without a problem and he did need to, but he was sure that Kun would somehow turn this into them fucking and Jaehyun going back on his arrangement- the sexile was bound to end quickly if Kun had any say in it. 

“I  _ am _ going to blow you, I just need to see the damage first.” He said firmly, massaging an ass cheek in his hand as Kun leant forward, stabling himself by gripping the shower pipes. 

“Come on, Jae, I’m fine. I can clean myself.” Kun assured, but Jaehyun wasn’t having it. He pressed his index finger into him, meeting no resistance as he slowly began fucking the come and excess slick out of him. Jae had knotted him twice and come inside him almost every time, so Kun wasn’t surprised when he looked down to see thick streams of Alpha come swirling down the drain. It made him groan,  _ God, what a waste of perfectly good come _ . 

“I fucked you, I can clean you.” Jaehyun said with a smile in his voice, holding back a groan as another bout of his come dripped past his fingers, sliding down Kun’s leg and washing away down the drain. It was a while of Jaehyun gently fingering him before Kun began to lose his composure, dropping his head as he gripped the pipes. 

“Jaehyunie,  _ p-please _ ?” Kun begged, fingers slipping on the metal and voice cracking on a soft whine. Jaehyun knew he couldn’t take much more. He leant forward, pressing a kiss to Kun’s tailbone, gently guiding Kun against the cold tile wall by his hips. 

“ _ God _ , how are you still horny? Didn’t I fuck you hard enough last night?” Jaehyun teased, teeth scraping his hip bone and nipping at his navel as he traveled lower, firm hands holding him against the wall by his thighs. 

“You always fuck me good,” Kun reassured, fingers curling roughly against his scalp as Jaehyun finally began mouthing at his cock, sinking his mouth down onto him after a moment of unbroken eye contact, “But you always leave me wanting more.” He added shakily, head rolling back as he closed his eyes. Jaehyun groaned around him, pressing his nose right against Kun’s stomach as he relaxed his throat, taking his cock right down to the base. Kun moaned wildly, a hand scrabbling against the wall and another in Jae’s hair as he bit his lip. Jaehyun began speeding up, sensing the urgency from Kun’s body language and gripping Kun’s already weakened thighs. He cried out, begging for more as Jaehyun sped up the movements of his head, looking up at Kun’s expression from beneath his eyelashes. It had Kun groaning at the sight, orgasm building too quickly in his gut and coming undone too fast to even give Jaehyun a warning. He watched as Jae swallowed around him, hungrily, gratefully, and his thighs didn’t feel strong enough to hold him up much longer as he cried out, babbling Jaehyun’s name with a mix of pleas and begs. 

“So good, such a good boy for Alpha, my baby.” Jaehyun soothed as he pulled off, mumbling the words into Kun’s hip bone, scattering kisses here and there, the hands on his thighs still keeping Kun up against the wall. He moaned softly, guiding Jaehyun’s head upwards and forcing him to stand up and kiss him against the shower wall, hands everywhere and bruises blossoming on his thighs from Jaehyun’s harsh grip. Kun couldn’t recall a time he’d ever been this satisfied in his life, even in Heat, he’d never felt like this. Jaehyun slid his tongue into mouth, guiding the kiss and tasting distinctly of Kun’s come, reminding him of how he’d swallowed. It was almost enough to get him hard again, but before he knew it, Jaehyun was pulling away, dragging him back under the stream of warm water to coat him in suds and wash him thoroughly. Kun revelled in the hands on his body and he knew now that it wouldn’t feel this good if it was anyone but Jaehyun. 

Once Jaehyun had taken extra care to dry and dress Kun in his sweater, they settled in the kitchen, mugs of hot coffee in their hands as they lulled into a comfortable silence. It lasted all of five minutes before Johnny ran into the kitchen with a stack of his hoodies, neatly folded and looking a whole lot fresher than his appearance. His hair was a mess, eyes wild and Jaehyun was cursing as he noticed the busted lip and bruised cheekbone. 

“What the hell happened to you?” Jaehyun stood, disentangling himself from Kun’s limbs as he crossed the room to tilt at Johnny’s jaw to get a better look. 

“It’s not important. I need you to take these to Mark, right now.” Johnny explained, looking over Jaehyun’s shoulder at Kun with a pleading look. Kun was still wary around him, but the puppy-dog eyes were enough to put aside his suspicions. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Kun mumbled into his coffee, vaguely waving his hand for him to leave the stack of clothes on the countertop. Johnny placed them aside, but made no move to leave and Jaehyun could tell that there was something up. 

“Johnny? Are you okay?” Jaehyun asked hesitantly, a frown between his brows as he studied Johnny’s expression. His eyes were darting around the room, avoiding Jae’s gaze and his hands slightly shook at his sides now that he wasn’t holding the sweaters in his arms. Something wasn’t right. 

“I just wondered- I mean, ask him first, but I- I really need his scent. It’s faded on my clothes and I can’t even sleep without it. Just- just one thing with his scent on- can you ask him for me?” Johnny rambled, surprising them both with his apparent nervousness. Jaehyun shared a look with Kun, watching as he nodded easily,

“I know. You smelt his Heat scent and now you can’t get it out of your head, I know. I’ll try and get something for you.” Kun reassured, Johnny shuffling from foot to foot and Kun could tell what he meant now. He stood on shaky legs, looking at Jaehyun for support and Johnny suddenly felt guilty for asking,

“O-oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise- I’m sorry.” He mumbled, Kun’s smile a little watery as he reached for the sweaters. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine. Jae might have to help me to the Sorority though.” Kun said softly, downing the rest of his coffee and looking at Jaehyun expectantly. Jaehyun grinned, nodding and guiding him out the kitchen towards the front door. Johnny slumped against the counter, forehead pressing into his arms as he sighed, taking deep breaths in order of calming himself down. 

“Rough night, huh?” Ten pattered into the kitchen, a spring in his step as he reached for the coffee pot and two mugs. Johnny looked up, watching as he smiled to himself, pouring each mug full with coffee and adding milk to one and sugar to both. 

“I see Taeyong couldn’t make it downstairs, seems like a rough night for him too.” Johnny smiled small, teasing lightly as he met Ten’s eyes. 

“Oh it was, but he made enough noise to keep half the campus up.” Ten’s smile faltered as he noticed the split lip and bruising, “What happened?” He asked in concern, hooking an index finger under his chin to tilt his head like Jaehyun had done. Johnny shrugged him off,

“Nothing, it’s a long story. Just go and take care of Taeyong, I’m sure he needs it.” Johnny replied quickly, watching as Ten gave him a look before lifting the mugs and leaving the kitchen. 

“I’ll check up on you later, call if you need anything!”

Yuta was well versed in hangovers and drunken mistakes, so waking up in a bed with another occupant wasn’t usually an issue, but his head was pounding, his throat was rough and he was ninety percent sure that there were  _ two _ other occupants in his bed. He sat up, bleary-eyed, as the occupant furthest from him nuzzled the person between them. Yuta tried to blink away his headache, blindly reaching for his glasses and wondering why on earth there was a pair of lace underwear strewn across his bedside cabinet. He rubbed his eyes and put his glasses on, finally turning back to the occupants in his bed and-

“Holy shit-” Yuta gasped under his breath as a memory of him and Taeil spitroasting Sicheng emerged in his brain. He tried not to choke on his saliva as he thought through how they’d ended up here and what exactly had gone on, but his moment of reminiscence was shattered when Taeil groaned, the sheets slipping off his torso as he stretched. Yuta watched as he had a similar panic process as his, abruptly sitting up and looking around the room before meeting Yuta’s eyes with his mouth agape.

“A-are you regretting it?” Taeil was the first to break their silence, voice wavering slightly at the end, but Yuta was frowning at the question, immediately shaking his head. 

“Why would I be regretting-” Yuta began, stopping abruptly when he realised what exactly Taeil meant. He had them both. 

“H-Hyungie, my head hurts.” Sicheng whined between them, suddenly awake and pulling the sheets up over his head. Taeil bit his lip,

“I know, I’ll get you some medicine, hold on, baby.” Yuta watched as Taeil got out of bed, quietly picking a pair of clean underwear from Yuta’s closet before padding into his en-suite bathroom like it was his own. 

“T-Taeil, wait.” Yuta called after him, knelt up on the bed with his entire body on show as he tried to reach for Taeil, “I don’t regret it, I can’t think of any two people I’d rather wake up to.” Yuta swallowed, throat impossibly dry, “I want you both, I didn’t know I could have you both, but I want it.” Sicheng pushed the sheets back from his face, squinting up at Yuta as he slid a reassuring hand up onto the Alpha’s thigh. Taeil stayed in place for a moment, staring blankly at the empty glass in his hand as he stood in front of the bathroom door, but he was in motion all of a sudden, too fast for Sicheng and Yuta to comprehend in their states. Taeil was kneeling up on the bed, glass tossed aside on the mattress as he leant over Sicheng and grabbed Yuta’s face to kiss him fiercely, fingers twining into Sicheng’s hair between them. Yuta gasped against his lips before reciprocating, sighing into his mouth and letting Taeil’s surge of confidence guide the kiss, it felt good like that. Sicheng whimpered softly still laying somewhere between them, his hand grounding on Yuta’s thigh as he leant into Taeil’s touch. It was a long time before they pulled apart, Yuta panting a little from exertion, but Taeil was gently tilting their foreheads against one another, nosing at him affectionately. 

“I shouldn’t have doubted you.” Taeil said softly, one arm slung over Yuta’s shoulder as he looked down at Sicheng between them, “And I shouldn’t have let you drink so much.” He teased, stroking his thumb over Sicheng’s temple before turning back to Yuta who had a gentle look on his face as he watched the exchange, something akin to loving, but Taeil wouldn’t go there just yet. 

“Oh God, Chengie, I-  _ shit- _ I  _ fucked _ you last night. Are you okay?” Yuta flew into action, gently moving his hands from Taeil’s body and leaning back down to lay beside Sicheng. Taeil smiled, pressing a quick kiss to Sicheng’s forehead before getting his water and medicine from the bathroom. He came back into the bedroom to find the covers at the foot of the bed and Yuta between Sicheng’s parted thighs with a cautious look on his face. Sicheng had his forearm slung over his eyes and was grumbling profusely, but Yuta seemed to be spreading around a calming scent in order of easing him.

“Baby, sit up a little and drink this.” Taeil perched on the edge of the bed, helping Sicheng sit up halfway before feeding him the medicine and stroking his hair as he drank his water down, “Good boy, you probably need a shower too, hm?” Taeil suggested as Sicheng lay back down again with a hand on Taeil’s thigh. 

“Yeah, once this pervert finishes up his inspection. Yu, I told you already, I’m fine! You might be my first actual Alpha cock, but I’ve taken knotting dildos before and it’s been nothing to worry about. I’m fine, seriously.” Sicheng huffed, oblivious of the lustful look that Taeil and Yuta had shared whilst he’d been rambling. 

“Yes, but taking a knotting dildo in Heat is very different-” Yuta began, but Sicheng had a hand atop the one Yuta had on his thigh. 

“Who said I just take them during Heat?” Sicheng quipped, eyes flashing as Taeil failed to contain an actual wolf-like growl. Yuta tried to calm him, but he was struggling enough as it was. 

“Chengie, don’t tease,” Yuta mumbled, restraint clear in his expression and Sicheng could tell that he was pushing it, “We’re Alphas, baby, when you say ‘jump’, we say ‘how high?’. You might think we have a lot of restraint, but you’re the first  _ Omega _ we’ve been in this situation with.” Yuta explained, pressing a gentle kiss to the inside of his thigh, “We just want to make sure that you’re alright, it’s instinctual.” He continued, crawling back over Sicheng’s body with a lazy smirk. 

“Stop it, now you’re the one being a tease.” Taeil smacked lightly at Yuta’s shoulder and he retreated reluctantly, sticking his tongue out at Taeil petulantly, “Let’s get cleaned up, come on.” Taeil encouraged, flicking the shower on as he called for them from the bathroom. They trudged in a moment later, Taeil handing Yuta another handful of tablets for his hangover and kissing them both before ushering them into the shower. 

“Hyung, why won’t you join us?” Sicheng grumbled when he realised Taeil was leaving, fingers sliding against the glass partition. 

“I’ll shower later. The bed needs changing and I’m not as hungover as you two.” Taeil said softly, brushing Sicheng’s fringe back from his eyes as Yuta practically held him up. 

“B-but I want both of you.” Sicheng mumbled dejectedly, eyes dropping to the tiled floor until Taeil leant in to tilt his chin up again.

“I’m right here, baby, but I need to look after you both.” Taeil explained gently, “I’ll be with you both as long as you want afterwards, trust me.” Taeil leant in to capture Sicheng’s lips against his own, kissing him messily with Yuta’s grip digging into his waist. Sicheng gave up reluctantly- after a little more of Taeil’s persuading- and continued his shower with Yuta, keeping close to him the entire time. Taeil changed the sheets in the bedroom and aired the room, laying out clothes for Sicheng to borrow and stocking the bedside table with glasses of water and another round of medicine for later.

By the time he was finished Yuta was guiding Sicheng out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a new array of suspicious looking marks on his neck. 

“Oh, someone got their mouth on Yuta.” Taeil teased, tipping Yuta’s jaw up to take a look at the vibrant colours Sicheng had graced Yuta’s pretty complexion with, “How do you still have the energy?” He added in bewilderment, padding towards Sicheng to ruffle his wet hair, Sicheng taking his own towel from around his waist and passing it to him with a quirk of his eyebrow. Taeil swallowed, shuffling on the clean sheets and guiding Sicheng to stand in front of him as he dried his body, Yuta watching from the side. 

“I know what everyone says about no one being able to hold me down. Maybe there’s some truth in it there.” Sicheng smirked a little before thinking hard, brows furrowed as he pressed a hand on Taeil’s shoulder to support himself as he stepped into a pair of Yuta’s joggers, “I think two Alphas should do it, though. I want you to be my boyfriends, I want to date you both, I mean it.” Sicheng said decisively, a serious look on his face as he stood in front of Taeil in Yuta’s joggers and nothing more, the cord pulled tight to keep them up where Taeil held his waist. Sicheng climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs and wrapping his arms around Taeil’s neck with a sincere look in his eye. 

“Y-yeah, yes, I want you too. I want you both.” Taeil mumbled out, not really thinking about the implications of it all, he was going by heart not head right now. Yuta hummed behind Sicheng somewhere and in the back of Taeil’s mind he thought that meant he was backing out, dread flooding his scent, but Yuta was beside him in a second, cradling his face and looking at him anxiously. 

“Hey, no, baby- that’s not what I- I just-” Yuta began, Sicheng smacking his shoulder with a look to tell him to pull himself together. He sighed, “It was my idea, I asked Sicheng about it earlier, we were drunk last night and I didn’t want it to be a one time thing. I thought things would change, but I never stopped having feelings for you Taeil and I don’t think I ever truly will.” Yuta finally managed to scramble through, Sicheng giving him a proud look. Taeil swallowed, processing his words as he ran his fingers up and down the base of Sicheng’s spine. 

“S-so you’re saying yes to all this? We’ll date- all three of us- like a relationship?” Taeil was getting whiplash, but Yuta made it simple when he kissed him slowly, humming against his lips,

“Yes, Taeil, the three of us. Is that what you want?” Yuta double checked, but it was half-teasing with how eager Taeil’s scent was from the whole ordeal. He nodded furiously once they pulled apart, eyes flicking to Sicheng who was looking at them both in contentment. 

“You two need to work on your communication. We could’ve skipped a whole term of awkward conversations and you two could’ve just invited me into your relationship, but we got there in the end didn’t we.” Sicheng commented, leaning in to rest his cheek against Taeil’s shoulder, staring up at Yuta blissfully. One Alpha was game, but two Alphas was just what Sicheng didn’t know he’d needed. 

Jaehyun had ended up having to carry Kun up the Sorority staircase, waiting outside in the corridor and breathing through his mouth as Mark’s scent flooded the whole first floor. Kun knocked gently, the door opening a moment later, the sound of Mark’s begging moans swelling in the corridor before they were blocked again by the door. 

“Kun,” Haechan breathed as he entered, looking to his arms at the stack of sweaters with a knowing smile, “Thank you.” He said softly, taking them to place on Mark’s desk, unravelling the top one and handing it to Mark to nuzzle as he rut his hips down on a dildo. Kun hummed, moving to sit beside him and brush his hair out of his eyes,

“How’re you feeling, baby? Is Hyuckie looking after you? Making you feel good?” He asked, careful not to spread his scent around too much, lest he aggravate Mark by covering up Johnny’s scent. Mark hummed, drooling over the purple hoodie grasped tightly in his hands,

“S-so good, Hyuckie always takes care of me so good.” Mark stuttered, eyes closing slowly, blearily focused on Kun’s face in front of him, but he could tell it was him. Haechan smiled softly, moving back to the foot of the bed and climbing back between his thighs to continue moving the dildo in and out of him, saving him from trying ridiculously to rut down onto it from where he lay with his legs spread in the centre of the mattress. 

“Markie’s been good, haven’t you baby? Tell Hyung how long it took to get you all stretched out.” Hyuck said slyly, watching as Mark moaned into the sweater as he began moving the dildo. 

“T-ten minutes, it took ten minutes.” Mark whined, hips jerking as he held back another wave of arousal, orgasm building quickly in his stomach as he pressed his face into the sweater. 

“Such a good boy, look how much you’ve improved since your last Heat.” Kun praised, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead, “Actually, Johnny asked me for something. He wants your scent, can I take him one of your sweaters?” Kun asked gently, smirking when Mark went absolutely apeshit at the mention of Johnny, the mention of an Alpha. His hips bucked, twisting recklessly and his head whipped back, clearly holding off an orgasm, but Haechan had his hand on his cock, working him through it until he came all over himself, slick dripping past the dildo and onto the sheets as he whined brokenly into Johnny’s hoodie. 

“Yes! Yes,  _ fuck yes _ .” Mark cried out and Kun wasn’t sure if it was an expletive or his answer to the question. He waited until Mark came down from his high, hushing him and rhythmically stroking his hair as he soothed him. 

“Good boy, you came a lot, look at you.” Kun cooed, leaning down to wipe the tears from his eyes and kiss his sweaty forehead, “Take your time, there’s no rush.” He added, watching as Mark tried to get his breath back, compose himself hastily before he stared up at Kun, eyes a little clearer than before as the Heat subsided. Haechan smiled.

“M-my whole closet, tell him he can have my whole closet.” Mark stuttered, breath still coming hard, but he was lucid now and Donghyuck was smirking to himself when he noticed Kun’s surprise.

“He’s- they made up… sort of. I’m still coming around to it all, but last night Johnny seemed to have said some stuff that Mark was happy to hear.” Hyuck began explaining, Kun still staring between them both in confusion, “Mark had a bit of a thing for Johnny in highschool, Johnny’s in denial still because, deep-down, he still sees Mark as an Alpha-” Haechan continued, but Mark was weakly kicking a leg out, foot colliding with Hyuck’s thigh.

“Haechan! Stop.” He mumbled shortly, an edge to his voice.

“Why? Did I get something wrong?” Hyuck teased back, but Mark was growling cutely, going for his thigh again with a sharp kick.

“You failed to mention that you were the one to wreck his face like that.” Mark frowned angrily up at him, Kun cursing with a surprised little laugh.

“Well, I hadn’t expected half of this, it’s- it’s a lot.” Kun raised an eyebrow at them both, smiling at Haechan as he moved off the bed to clean Mark’s abdomen with a towel, trying to take the hoodie from him to wipe his chest from sweat, but Mark had an iron grip on it.

“Mine.” Mark grit out, Omega showing for a moment as he hugged the hoodie to his chest. Kun chuckled quietly, standing to rifle through Mark’s closet and pick out a handful of his sweaters, handing Mark the rest of Johnny’s neatly folded hoodies for him to arrange his nest.

“He seemed worried about you, Mark, he’ll probably want to see you after Heat.” Kun said softly, sitting back down on the bed to begin folding Mark’s clothes, but Mark was stopping him, taking his own sweater and rubbing the fabric against his cheek, covering the clothes in his scent so Johnny had a bit more.

“Let me just-” He cut off, groaning when arousal shot through him again, merely the act of scenting his things for Johnny had him like this and it was surprising how much it turned him on, “ _ God _ , I want him.” He mumbled under his breath, moving onto the next hoodie to scent for Johnny, Kun folding the ones he’d already drenched in his scent.

“If you need more of his things, I’ll bring them over, just get Hyuck to call me.” Kun said softly, folding the last item and taking them into his arms, kissing Mark’s head again before they were interrupted by a soft tapping against the door, Jaehyun’s scent creeping under the wedge.

“Kunnie? We need to go, Ten just messaged to say that Johnny’s in Rut and he wants Mark’s things.” Jaehyun said quickly, Kun flashing a look towards the door before biting his lip and looking at Hyuck who was doing the same.

“I’ll be back if either of you need me, just call, alright?” Kun said firmly, watching as Mark settled into the nest he’d made with Johnny’s sweaters, choosing a dark grey one to pull over his head, drowning him in fabric as he relaxed into the sheets with Johnny’s scent around him.  _ God, it felt so good _ .

“Oh, Kun, hang on,” Haechan spoke as he was halfway towards the door. He caught up to him, dropping his voice to a whisper so Mark wouldn’t hear, “Do you know whether he’s been fucked yet? He’ll say yes to anything when he’s in Heat, but I don’t want to take his virginity when he’s like this.” Hyuck bit his lip, eyeing Mark over his shoulder before looking back to Kun warily.

“I wouldn’t risk it, I haven’t heard about him fucking around with guys since his last Heat and he’d never even fingered himself before that time, so you might want to skip out on it this time.” Kun explained, swiping his thumb over Hyuck’s jaw before looking back at Mark, “I think he’s got an idea of who he wants his first to be, anyway.” He added with a smile, Hyuck laughing softly, nodding in agreement and thanking him again,

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Jaehyun opened the door to find Johnny fucking his hips into one of his innocent pillows, hips smacking vigourously and head dropped between his shoulders, harsh breaths falling from his lips.

“I’ve got a present for you, Youngho.” Jaehyun spoke up, the sweaters stacked in his arms and at the mere scent, Johnny was growling, eyes flashing towards him as his hips slowed down, but not coming to a stop.

“Fuck,  _ yes _ , fuck.” Johnny almost choked as the scent met his nose, reaching pathetically for the sweaters and Jaehyun was obliging, nudging them onto the bed and watching, half-amused, as he recklessly unravelled the neat folding, plunging his face between the fabrics and inhaling with a sob, “Holy shit,  _ ughh _ , I  _ need _ him.” He groaned, hips stuttering as he came hard against the pillow between his thighs, Jaehyun rubbing his thumb at the base of his neck to soothe him. 

“Slowly, Johnny, they’re not going anywhere.” Jaehyun spoke up when he noticed Johnny trying to shove all of the sweaters against his face at once, panting into them to keep up the illusion of Mark being there with him, “Kun said he scented them especially for you when he heard you wanted them, his scent’s still fresh, huh?” Jaehyun hummed, massaging Johnny’s shoulders as he fell forward onto his stomach, uncaring of the come he’d just fallen into. He nodded, eyes staring up at Jaehyun, the rest of his face buried in the fabric making him look a lot smaller than he was. 

“I’ve never wanted a person so much in my life, I don’t know what to do.” Johnny said breathlessly, voice muffled and small as he looked away from Jaehyun, scared of his reaction. 

“It sounds as if he wanted you too, Youngho, but you need to take care of yourself right now. Kun said that Donghyuck is taking good care of him,  _ really _ good care, so there’s no need to worry. Just wait out your Rut and you can go and see him as soon as he’s ready for a visitor.” Jaehyun said gently, scratching Johnny’s scalp endearingly as he groaned in response. 

“I don’t  _ want _ Haechan looking after him,  _ I  _ want to look after him.” He said childishly, grumbling into the hoodies, but Jaehyun was laughing standing and crossing to the bathroom to fill him a glass of water. 

“I know, but you two need to sort out whatever the hell is going on between you both before you can spend Heat with him, alright?” Jaehyun said firmly, “Sit up and drink a little while you’re sated.” He added, a hand on the small of Johnny’s back as he held the glass to his lips, Johnny barely supporting himself as he grabbed onto Mark’s sweaters as if Jaehyun might take them away from him. He drank gratefully, Jaehyun refilling the glass again to place on the bedside before standing and cracking the window a little. 

“Can you buy a watermelon?” Johnny suddenly piped up out of the blue and Jaehyun was frowning, staring at Johnny in disgust. 

“I’m not getting you a watermelon to fuck, you absolute imbecile. Use your hand and your pillows and if you’ve got a fleshlight then whack that out, but I am not taking part in your fruit fetish.” Jaehyun yelped, weakly smacking Johnny on the head with his palm, but Johnny was giggling softly, shaking his head as he slumped back down in bed.

“N-no, oh my god, no, Jae!” He cried, nosing at Mark’s scent distractedly, “I- it’s Mark’s favourite fruit, I just wanted to bring him some after Heat, that’s all.” Jaehyun watched as Johnny’s ears tinged red with embarrassment, fingers crumpling the sheets as he bit his lip. Jaehyun was silent for a moment, reality hitting him that Johnny might actually have fallen for someone- he knew Mark’s favourite fruit, that felt like a very big deal. 

“Yeah, okay,” Jaehyun said gently, looking at Johnny with a smile, “Anything else?” He asked, massaging Johnny’s shoulders again. 

“Watermelon candy, but that’s for me.”

Mark lay comfortably against Haechan’s chest, head rising and falling with his steady breathing. There was a light breeze from where Haechan had propped the French doors open an inch and the cool winter air felt delightful on his skin, reminding him that this was the first day that he’d woken without feeling Heat-stricken and uncomfortable. He looked over himself for a moment, lifting the sheets to see how messy he’d become, but Haechan had done a bit of cleaning before they’d passed out. Hyuck sighed beneath him and Mark decided to get up to take a shower, gently disentangling himself from his limbs. He ran the water and stepped in once it’d heated up, reaching immediately for the soap to lather himself in. There was dried come and slick all up his thighs and he didn’t even want to think about what his ass looked like. He was reminded of a snippet of Heat, Haechan jerking himself off and finishing over Mark’s ass whilst he still rode out the high from having his prostate milked. It’d been intense. 

“How are you feeling?” Haechan’s voice sounded from behind the fogged glass, startling Mark from his thoughts as he washed his hair. He hummed, sticking his head out from behind the partition and beckoning Donghyuck into the shower with him. 

“Better.” Mark said softly, pulling him under the stream of water and helping him get clean, but Haechan was grunting and doing the same with Mark, “No Heat, just tired.” He added as Hyuck threaded his fingers into his hair to wash the suds through. 

“Good, I told Kun that I thought you were done. He’s making you breakfast now and I’ll change your sheets whilst you eat.” Haechan said steadily, wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck and sighing, “It was good seeing you like that. For someone who thought they’d be an Alpha, your Omega sure is feisty.” Haechan smiled, nuzzling Mark’s neck to scent him before pulling away and gently turning him around to clean his ass and lower back with an embarrassed groan. 

“Yeah, I do remember you coming all over my ass once or twice.” Mark commented, propping himself up with a hand against the wall as Donghyuck rubbed soap into his skin, made him part his legs. 

“Don’t talk like that.” Hyuck said sharply, scent hitching as he clearly got riled up at the memory. Mark suppressed a smile and nodded small, letting Haechan continue cleaning him up, soft hands working over his skin, “You called me his name quite a few times.” Hyuck added after a moment, bending a little to clean up the inside of his thighs and pull him fully back under the stream of water as he added conditioner on his hair. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realise.” Mark hummed, a little awkward, but Hyuck was smiling gently and shaking his head. 

“That’s not why I said it, I wasn’t looking for an apology.” Donghyuck paused a moment, lips pressed together as he thought it through, “I think I was hoping for you to be accepting of it, but this sounds like defeat.” Haechan said with a strange sort of smile that had Mark feeling a little self-conscious. He rose an eyebrow when their eyes met,

“You’re probably right, defeat’s a good choice of word.” Mark said with a smirk, a hint of sadness in it, “I like him, Hyuck, I like him a lot and I don’t know what to do about it.” 

Mark sat on the balcony eating his breakfast the second morning after his Heat had ended. Donghyuck was in his room on a call to one of his professors, so he’d some time alone to think, but everything was interrupted when a knock came at the door. 

“Hey, Markie? Are you up for a visitor?” Kun called through the door, bright and melodic as usual. Mark hummed, placing his half-eaten breakfast aside and opening his bedroom door to find Kun, Johnny standing a little behind him with a hesitant look. 

“Oh, hi, I-uh- sorry, I wasn’t expecting you here.” Mark looked down at his outfit, the last of Johnny’s clean sweaters drowning his small frame and making him seem a whole lot smaller than Johnny knew he really was. Kun smiled at him,

“I’ll be down the hall if you need me and I’ll let Hyuck know he’s here once he finishes up with his professor.” Kun added, leaving them both at the door, Johnny stepping a little closer with a hesitant smile on his lips. He was wearing a denim jacket over his hoodie and a loose pair of gray sweatpants like Mark, a bag slung over his shoulder as Mark beckoned him in. 

“You look- you look good in that.” Johnny mumbled offhandedly as he ran his fingers over the loose hoodie Mark had on.  _ His _ hoodie. He tried not to think too hard about it, pulling away and sitting on Mark’s bed when he patted the space beside him.

“Thanks,” He smiled small, fingers peeking out from the cuffs as he pulled the fabric over his hands, “And thanks for the sweaters. I’ll get them all back to you once they’re washed and dried.” Mark said, trying not to think about how he’d almost ruined half of them in his Heat. He’d worried that he’d never get the come and slick stains out of some, but Kun had told him that he would take care of it all. 

“Take your time, you look like you’re comfortable in them.” Johnny said with a smile, unzipping his bag and pulling out a large Tupperware box and Mark’s sweaters, freshly washed and smelling distinctly of Johnny’s scent and washing detergent. Mark swallowed dryly, desperately trying not to just nuzzle his face in the fabric and inhale the scent, especially with the scent-supplier right in front of him. 

“I- I like your scent, it’s good after Heat as well.” Mark explained quietly, unaware of how Johnny had opened the Tupperware and slid a fork into Mark’s hand. 

“I heard that Heat recoveries are harder than Rut recoveries. Have you been okay? I wanted to come sooner, but Jaehyun said to let you rest a bit first.” Johnny explained, swallowing dryly when Mark’s scent spiked, Heat still underlying it, just faintly. Mark gave him another tight smile before stabbing his fork into a watermelon chunk.

“You-you remembered.” He replied distractedly, not really answering Johnny. 

“Of course, it’s your favourite.” Johnny responded, splitting open a packet of watermelon candy to lay on the bed between them, “Some things don’t change.” He added under his breath, chewing on the candy with a satisfied sigh as he tried hard not to stare too much at the way his hoodie was so big on Mark that it slipped down and revealed a sliver of his purpled collarbones. He suppressed a growl at Haechan for that. 

“I’m sorry about all this, I didn’t mean to trigger your Rut, I’d completely forgotten my Heat was even due until it happened.” Mark mumbled around the watermelon, staring blankly at his lap to avoid Johnny’s gaze. He sucked on the fork, Johnny huffing a quiet laugh,

“You don’t need to be sorry, I was due for Rut around this time anyway.” He explained, leaning back on his hands and looking around Mark’s room properly now. The last time he’d been here was when Mark was fixing up his busted lip and bruised body, he’d been sort of distracted, but now he had the time to look around. It didn’t feel any different than his bedroom, no stereotypical Omega features, not even a strong scent, but that was probably down to the fact that Mark had been airing the room after his Heat, “Haechan, he- well, he looked after you, right?” Johnny suddenly spoke up again at the reminder of Heat. Mark looked up with those big, shocked puppy eyes, mouth still wrapped around the fork in surprise at Johnny’s bluntness. 

“Y-yes, yeah, he was great. It hurt a little bit more this time, but I’m recovering.” Mark explained slowly, frowning when he noticed the taken aback look on Johnny’s face, “W-wait, n-no! That’s not what I meant when I said- I just mean that during my last Heat there was this dull stab of pain, like, right in my stomach. I just- I meant it was more painful this time, like an ache all the way across my abdomen.” Mark stuttered through, embarrassment tinting his cheeks and the bridge of his nose in a light pink and it made Johnny want to coo at him. Instead, he nodded his understanding,

“And now? Does it hurt now?” Johnny asked hesitantly, eyes curious and pitiful as he tried to imagine what Mark had gone through, “Is there anywhere else that hurts? I can get you painkillers or something.” Mark coloured a little darker this time, dropping his face to try and hide his expression. 

“I- uhm- of course there are other places it hurts, but I’ll be f-fine.” He stuttered, biting his lip and shoving another slice of watermelon into his mouth, Johnny stopped pressing the issue. 

“I-oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He leant back in to tilt Mark’s chin up again, “But you’re still my friend and if you want to talk about it then I’m here. I’m no Omega, but I’ll listen and try and help and if you just want me to get some medicine then I’m here for that too. I don’t want to keep sitting on the sidelines of your life, I want to be back beside you and I want to do it right this time.” Johnny said softly, eyes boring into Mark’s as he tried to enunciate every word he said through his gaze. Mark swallowed, nodding slowly, a sudden light feeling in his chest and Johnny was moving across the bed, sidling up against the headboard to sit beside Mark instead of opposite him.

“Thanks, really, thank you.” Mark said quietly, watching as Johnny rearranged the pillows so that Mark would be comfortable, “Kun already had medicine, I’ll be fine, I just want to rest and be here. With- with you.” He added, chewing on his nails, but Johnny was grabbing his wrist to pull his hand away from his mouth. 

“Then let's do that.” He said, looking at him earnestly before reaching for Mark’s TV remote and flicking through movies, settling on one of their childhood favourites and opening his arms for Mark to fall into. 

“Haechanie is going to strangle me for smelling like you later.” Mark mumbled under his breath as he settled down at Johnny’s side, head between his chest and shoulder and arm slung over Johnny’s waist as the Alpha held him tightly around the shoulders, his other arm gently resting atop the one Mark had on his waist. Johnny tried not to revel. Mark tried not to get used to it. 

“Are you sleeping here?” The voice came muffled, like it was far away, but when Johnny felt a warmth at his side he realised that he’d just been asleep. He blinked, looking around a moment before his gaze settled on Haechan standing over him with his arms crossed over his chest, “Well? Are you sleeping here?” Haechan tried again. Johnny swallowed, looking down to find Mark still asleep in his arms, fingers clutching gently at Johnny’s sweater as if to prevent him from leaving.

“Y-Yeah, okay.” Johnny mumbled sleepily, blinking slowly and frowning when Haechan stayed put, facial expression blank and disapproving like it’d been when Johnny first opened his eyes.

“It wasn’t an offer, it was a question.” Hyuck mumbled, tight-lipped as he began rummaging through Mark’s closet, grabbing sleep shorts and a hoodie for him to change into once he awoke, “And you can take my room. I’m staying with him.” Donghyuck added with disinterest, moving towards the en-suite to run Mark’s shower before waking him up. 

“Sh-shouldn’t it be his choice?” Johnny asked hesitantly, not wanting to make Hyuck even more annoyed with him, but also not wanting to leave Mark. Especially with how Mark was now nuzzling his sweater, inhaling his scent gratefully. Johnny let his scent seep a little more, making it easier for Mark to rub the Alpha scent all over himself. Haechan whipped around to look at him coldly,

“Don’t do that.” He said sharply, “Don’t scent him unless he asks.” Johnny stopped immediately, swallowing, in something akin to fear. Donghyuck could be scary when he wanted to be. 

“He’s- But he’s scenting me.” Johnny replied innocently, Hyuck's gaze flicking down to Mark scenting Johnny’s sweater. 

“He can do what he wants, he’s an Omega. You’re an Alpha, you could be charged for sexual harassment,  _ especially _ since he’s unconscious right now.” Donghyuck stepped closer with a look on his face that Johnny hadn’t seemed to catalogue in highschool, “I have friends in high places, it’d be a shame if they heard about your endeavours with a freshly out-of-Heat, helpless,  _ vulnerable _ Omega. You wouldn’t want that to happen, now, would you?”  _ Ah, a threat? This is new _ , Johnny thought to himself, levelling his gaze with Haechan’s as he smirked devilishly at the Alpha- a challenge. 

“Give it up, Haechan, he’s my friend- not some random Omega I met at a nightclub. Maybe this whole thing works in the courtroom, but not here, there’s more history than that.” Johnny waved him off, entangling his fingers in Mark’s hair as the little Omega continued his nuzzling, more persistent due to the lack of scenting. 

“Mh, I guess you’re right.” Donghyuck said smoothly, unfazed by the quip, “Best wake the princess and see who he wants tonight.” Donghyuck added, Johnny scoffing and giving him an exasperated look as he made Mark out to be a cheap whore. This wasn’t a game and it hadn’t been fun for a while now, but Johnny stood his ground, gently nudging at Mark’s shoulder and brushing his hair back from his face. 

“Markie? Hey, baby, wake up. We need to get you washed up before you get into bed, come on.” Johnny hummed in soft English, quiet enough for Haechan to not even hear. Mark groaned, nosing at Johnny’s chest again before pulling away sleepily. 

“‘M tired.” Mark groaned, sleepily rubbing at his eyes with small fists. Johnny watched as he sat up, disorientated before his eyes settled on Donghyuck, “H-Hyuckie?” He studied Haechan’s expression, noticing the slight annoyance in his eyes and the bitter scent he’d let slip. Haechan blinked once before righting himself, 

“Come on, I’ll help you wash up.” He said smoothly, staring Johnny in the eyes and reaching for Mark’s hand as he followed after him in confusion. 

“What are you- Haechan-ah! What’s going on with you?” Mark demanded as Haechan pulled him into the en-suite, door shutting loudly behind them. Hyuck avoided his gaze as he began making himself busy with stripping and then helping Mark with his clothes. 

“I just don’t like it- you and Johnny- it just scares me.” Haechan said shortly, voice sounding a little frustrated and Mark couldn’t quite place why exactly, “It’s not that I’m jealous, I’m just worried about you, Markie.” He added, sighing and running his hand through his hair, Mark watching in confusion as they stood naked- bar Mark’s underwear- across from one another in the bathroom. 

“Hyuckie, it’s fine,  _ I’m _ fine. Look, I know you’re still trying to work out where you stand with him, but I- I’m already there and you don’t always need to protect me. Especially not from him.” Mark mumbled, gently pushing his underwear down and guiding them both under the stream of water. Haechan sighed again as the warmth engulfed him like a hug,

“I know, I know. It’s just- well, how am I supposed to be okay with all of this after he broke your heart like that? He treated you so badly and now, all of a sudden, he’s…  _ good _ ? He can’t just change like-!” Haechan began, but Mark stepped in again, hands firm on Hyuck’s hips as he met him under the stream of water. 

“Haechanie, please, just trust me? Trust that I know what I’m doing this time?” Mark swallowed, Donghyuck sliding his arms around his shoulders with a hesitant smile as he nodded, “I like him, Hyuck, I like him just how I liked him before and it’s as hard for me to understand as it is for you to get used to, so just give him time. Give  _ me _ time.” Haechan dove in to bury his face in Mark’s neck, his scent hard to find under Johnny’s. 

“I’m sorry, I do trust you, Mark. I hate that I made you think otherwise, I’m sorry.” Haechan said softly. Mark had always teased him about his inability to apologise whilst looking a person in the eye, but right now he was grateful for it. He just wanted to keep holding Haechan, for Haechan to keep holding him. They stayed like that a while before Mark pulled away and began reaching for the shower gel, Hyuck taking it from him to lather them both up in suds.

“He bought me watermelon.” Mark suddenly piped up absentmindedly, a distant look in his eyes and a little smile on his face as Haechan ran his hands over his arms and chest.

“Oh yeah? He remembered?” Hyuck replied teasingly, turning Mark around to wash his back. Mark nodded,

“I think he remembers more than he lets on, we should give him more credit.” Mark said with a soft laugh, gritting his teeth as he felt Haechan’s hands slide down to his ass cheeks. He hummed his response, crouching down to be eye level with Mark’s ass.

“Let me check you,” Haechan hummed against his skin, pressing a kiss to his lower back before parting his cheeks and gently thumbing at Mark’s still stretched hole, “Are you still sore?” Mark shivered, hiding his face in his forearms against the wall. He shook his head,

“It’s not bad, it just feels- I just feel-” He cut off with an embarrassed whine and Hyuck was back to pressing kisses on his lower back, hands still firm on his ass.

“What is it, baby?” He urged, leaning back to look at his little gape again, clenching pointlessly around nothing, “You can tell me.”

“It’s embarrassing, I’m not in Heat, Hyuck.” Mark said quietly, biting his lip as he looked over his shoulder down at Hyuck.

“Mark, you can be horny outside of Heat, you know. Lots of people get like that.” Haechan said dryly, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. Mark sighed.

“I just- I feel really empty, it’s weird, right? I guess it’s just nice to be f-full.” He said, embarrassment creeping up his spine from where Hyuck was easing him with gentle kisses at his tailbone. His voice was drowned out by the sound of water, but Haechan was listening, biting his lip to hold back a smile.

“There’s no harm in that, Markie.” Haechan soothed, leaning in to run his tongue quickly over Mark’s red, gaping hole, swollen from Heat week, “Besides, everyone feels that way after getting fucked six ways ‘til Sunday. You’re fine, Mark, it’s not as embarrassing as you’re making it out to seem.” Hyuck stood again, hands sliding from his ass up to Mark’s hips, pulling his back against his chest.

“Y-yeah, but it still feels… weird, like I’ve done something wrong.” Mark mumbled, sliding a hand over Hyuck’s on his hips and guiding it to rest over his sternum, “Like it’ll only feel right if there’s- if there’s something inside me.” Mark dropped his face in an attempt at hiding the burn on his cheeks, but Haechan had rested his chin on Mark’s shoulder and now had a perfect view of his expression.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, you’re an Omega, Mark. We feel like this, we react like this, it’s normal. Being with Johnny probably escalates that, but he also makes it feel better, right? Being around him and his scent is soothing, so much so that you fell asleep in his arms. That’s not something any Omega would do right after Heat.” Donghyuck explained, guiding him back under the water and spinning him around to face one another, “We’re not programmed to understand ourselves like this, Minhyungie, no one completely understands it, but it doesn’t mean it’s not real.” Haechan finished quietly, washing the soap out of his and Mark’s hair before shutting off the water. He sighed to himself, smiling sadly at Mark as he realised that he needed to let Mark go, even if that meant falling into Johnny’s arms. Haechan had to let Mark go.

Johnny was half asleep by the time Mark and Donghyuck emerged from the bathroom, Mark in his night sweater and shorts with a towel around his neck.

“I’m going back to my room tonight, call me if you need anything, okay?” Haechan whispered against his neck, pressing a short kiss to his jaw before leaning back with a smile. 

“B-but you said that you didn’t like Johnny being-” Mark began softly, but Hyuck was shaking his head and hushing him with a smile. 

“I trust you, Mark, I trust your decisions.” He explained shortly, reminding Mark of their conversation back before showering. Mark smiled, watching as Hyuck left quietly. Johnny stirred as the door clicked shut, fingers twitching against the sheets as Mark stepped closer, climbing under the covers until his face was inches from Johnny’s against the pillows.

“Johnny?” Mark whispered, not expecting him to wake, but wondering if he was simply in a light sleep. He sighed when he was met without a response, curling his hand under Johnny’s twitching hand, twining their fingers, “You haven’t made it easy for him, you know.” He mumbled absentmindedly, not caring whether Johnny could hear him or not, he just needed to get it off his chest. They were quiet for another beat, just Johnny’s steady breathing until Mark spoke, “It felt like he gave me his blessing earlier. It’s stupid, isn’t it? I’m not a kid anymore, I’m older than  _ him _ , but I- I guess I needed to hear it anyway. I’d already come to terms with the fact that you and I wouldn’t work out, but now things are going well and I haven’t planned for this. I hadn’t planned to be an Omega or for you to come back and I definitely hadn’t planned for my feelings to emerge again.” He laughed softly to himself, moving to lay his other hand between his head and the pillow, scanning Johnny’s peaceful features. There was no stress in his expression anymore, eyebrows smoothed and pretty lips pressed into a contented pout, Mark wanted to kiss him so badly, “I didn’t plan for this, so what do I do now? You always seem to know what to do, but I- I’m confused and lost and I don’t know anything other than-” He cut off to swallow down a harsh sob from climbing up his throat, “You. I don’t know anything other than you.” Mark’s fingers were shaking in Johnny’s grip now and his scent had unknowingly spiked, Johnny flinching, slowly unfurling from sleep as he met Mark’s watery gaze from across the pillows.

“Shit, are you- I’m sorry, I fell asleep- what happened?” Johnny sat up, anxiety screwing his features up again, the opposite of how he’d looked when he’d been asleep and it made Mark’s gut curdle with guilt. He huffed out something between a scoff and a sob, eyes blinking a quick bout of tears down his cheeks as he focused on calming his scent, wiping his eyes and sitting up with Johnny.

“N-no, it’s- I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Mark said, swallowing the lump in his throat and smiling small, but Johnny was leaning in, wiping his face with the sleeves of his sweater and holding his cheeks in big, gentle hands.

“Don’t apologise. Do you want to talk? I- I can get Haechan-ah if you want him-?” Johnny began, but Mark was shaking his head quickly, a surge of confidence causing him to press forward into Johnny’s chest, wrap his arms firmly around his waist in a tight hug. It was a moment of surprised hesitation before Johnny responded, circling his arms around Mark’s shoulders and sliding his fingers into the hair at the base of Mark’s neck.   
“I j-just want you. Here.” Mark’s words sounded muffled against Johnny’s sweater, his firm chest smelling so distinctly of Alpha under Mark’s face, “I want you to stay with me.” If Johnny or anyone listening were to question him about it later on, he’d blame it on the after effects of Heat, but deep down it was true. He didn’t want Johnny to go, he  _ never _ wanted Johnny to go. 

“I’m not going anywhere. Here, lay down, you need to get some rest.” Johnny insisted, gently laying them both down again, Mark tucking his face under his chin, cheek resting against his chest, “Are you sure you’re okay?” He added once they’d settled, hesitance in his voice as if he knew that he was pushing his luck.

“Y-yeah, I just- I think it’s a post-Heat thing. You’re an Alpha, after all, it’s probably just something to do with that.” He mumbled, twining the strings of Johnny’s hoodie between his fingers, “It just feels like I want you all the time.” Mark explained dumbly, biting his lip between his teeth as he stared off into space. Johnny wasn’t good for him, Johnny had never been good for him, but he always seemed to come back for more and it was beginning to frighten him a little.  _ Was there something wrong with him? _ Even being with him right now didn’t feel like enough, he still wanted,  _ needed _ , more.

“I’m here,” Johnny reiterated, pulling him impossibly closer, but it still wasn’t enough for Mark. He needed skin on skin, not just this. He slid the hand he had on Johnny’s chest down under the hem of his sweater, biting his lip a little harder as he heard Johnny’s sharp intake of breath, “D-do you want something?” He asked hesitantly, looking down at Mark who was positively blushing now, eyes downcast as he skimmed his fingers over Johnny’s taut stomach, resting his hand just above his navel. His skin felt warm against Mark’s fingers, soft and smooth and it made Mark want to push it one step further, but Johnny’s hoodie was already rucked up to his ribs in Mark’s attempt at touching some skin. He sighed finally, content for now with the platonic touching. 

“No, I just wanted to touch you. It’s too cold to take your sweater off, I just wanted to feel you.” Mark mumbled sleepily, not completely comprehending what exactly he was admitting to, but Johnny would leave the teasing for another time.

“I can take it off if you want. I just finished Rut so I’m still a little warm, I don’t mind.” Johnny said softly against his hair, Mark slowly slipping into sleep and Johnny knew that there wouldn’t be much time for an answer.

“‘S fine. I like it, I like you.” Mark slurred against his chest, eyes drawing in, closing on their own accord and Johnny couldn’t help but smile a little, thumb rubbing gently over Mark’s waist from where he held him against his chest.

“Me too, I like you too, Mark.” Johnny whispered, but Mark was already asleep.

Mark woke only once or twice throughout the night- a great improvement to the times he’d awoken the days prior- and each time Johnny would gently hold him and soothe his uneven breathing, settling him down before he fell back to sleep in Johnny’s arms. When morning came, Mark had a strange sense of dread that Johnny would already have left, but he awoke with Johnny’s body carefully cradling his from behind. Their fingers were interlinked on the pillows, Johnny’s arm beneath Mark’s head and Mark found it humorous that even their legs were intertwined beneath the sheets. What he found less humorous, however, was Johnny’s warm hand beneath his sweater, just above his navel. Mark recalled how he’d done the same to Johnny the previous night, wondering if he’d felt the same coil of heat in the pit of his stomach when he’d done it to the Alpha. It felt- it felt so good,  _ too _ good.

“ _ Minhyungie _ ,” Johnny whispered against Mark’s hair, the hold on his chest slipping a little higher, revealing the bottom half of his torso under the sheets. Mark could tell that Johnny wasn’t fully conscious of it and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for wanting it to continue, “ _ Minhyungie _ ,  _ baby _ .” Mark grit his teeth, suppressing a groan at the pet-name. He wanted to kick his hips back against Johnny’s waist, wanted to roll his head aside to let Johnny mark up his neck, wanted to-

“Mark? Are you awake? I’m making pancakes, do you want some?” Jungwoo’s voice came from behind his bedroom door, soft and light with a muffled Alpha voice beside him- Doyoung.

“I’m fine, thanks, Hyung.” Mark called back, pushing the dirty thoughts to the back of his head and trying to ignore the gentle circles Johnny was rubbing into his skin, “We’ll eat later.” He added, swallowing down a sigh in response to Johnny’s touch, it was getting distracting. Jungwoo hummed from behind the door, two sets of footsteps retreating quietly down the corridor

“Markie?” Johnny’s voice sounded from behind him, gravelly from sleep, but a lot more conscious than previously. The gentle touches had also paused on his skin and Mark was cursing every God out there for letting that happen.

“Hey,” He mumbled softly, turning his head back an inch to meet Johnny’s gaze as he felt him sit up, “Sorry, Jungwoo-Hyung called.” He explained, moving to lay on his back, Johnny accommodating him with his hand still on his chest, unaware. The sheets slipped down as Mark moved, Johnny inhaling audibly as he finally noticed his hand still on the Omega’s bare skin, sweater ridden up to show half of his torso. Johnny swallowed, eyes transfixed on his naked chest until he gently removed his hand, slowly pulling Mark’s sweater back down, reluctantly covering his skin again.

“O-oh, sorry, I must’ve grabbed you in my sleep. I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.” Johnny began, rambling a little too much, given the situation. Mark looked up at him from where he lay on his back, Johnny leaning over him,

“It’s- it’s fine, it felt nice,”  _ Nice? Really Mark? That’s all you could come up with- nice? _ “I just mean that you don’t have to worry about it. I did the same last night, it’s not a problem.” Mark tried to clear up, cringing a little at his own words, but Johnny looked as worried as beforehand.

“D-don’t tell Hyuckie about this, he’s going to murder me. I really am sorry, it won’t happen again-” Johnny began, but Mark was cutting him off with a careful hand on his jaw, gently moving Johnny’s face to level with him.

“Hyuckie talks the big game, but you know he’d never really do anything to hurt you. Besides, I- I wouldn’t mind if I were to wake up like that again.” He blushed, hand still on Johnny’s jaw as he looked away, “It’s better when it’s you touching me.” Johnny tried not to choke, tried to keep his expression neutral, tried not to kiss Mark, but the little Omega was making it damn hard on him.

“He said he’d file for sexual harassment if I touched you without you wanting me too. I- I didn’t know if you’d wanted me to touch you. Like this I mean.” Johnny tried to clear his head, but images of Mark with his legs spread for him were creeping into his mind and he pulled away, standing unstably beside the bed as he looked down at Mark a little hauntedly.

“It’s- are you okay?” Mark asked in panic, sitting up and looking skeptically at the hand he’d had on Johnny’s jaw as if it’d burned the poor Alpha, “I didn’t mean to- you look like you’re going to pass out.” Johnny stared at him a moment, suddenly realising why exactly Mark thought he might pass out, he’d forgotten to breathe. 

“I’m- I’m fine, you just- well, your scent suddenly picked up and I- I just need a minute.” Johnny sucked in a breath, dropping his head as he concentrated on Mark’s scent, honing in on it until he didn’t feel so overwhelmed by it.  _ Could Mark have been thinking those things as well? Is that why his scent suddenly spiked? _ Johnny thought, but doubt began seeping into his mind and he swallowed dryly. He was fine, this was fine.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. I’m still not really used to my scent, I haven’t got a great handle on the control side of it all yet.” Mark sighed, biting his lip as he looked up at Johnny anxiously. Johnny finally opened his eyes again, taking a few more shaky breaths before he nodded, knelt back on the edge of the bed and looked at Mark properly,

“It’s not your fault. I guess I just don’t have as much self-restraint as I thought.” He huffed a soft laugh, hesitantly reaching for Mark’s hand as he took it in his own, sitting across from Mark, “And we’re both just out of Heat, so it’s probably not entirely my fault.” He joked, gently rubbing his thumbs along Mark’s knuckles. Mark nodded, an innocent sort of smile that Johnny hadn’t seen since highschool gracing his lips and maybe it wasn’t all to do with who was at fault, because neither of them had ever really been that good at taking the blame. Then again, a lot of things had changed since highschool.

Johnny slipped into the shower after they’d spent another hour in bed watching trashy sitcoms, Mark’s head lolling against his shoulder. Haechan knocked a little while later, smiling as he noticed Mark sleepily scrolling through his phone.

“You’re awake?” He slid under the covers beside Mark, nuzzling his neck and grimacing, “Ugh, you smell like Johnny.” He groaned, Mark laughing in response before snuggling down into Haechan’s arms.

“What did you expect?” He laughed, rubbing his scent on Haechan for good measure, but it went unappreciated as Hyuck began playing disinterested.

“Do you want a shower now or this evening?” Hyuck asked after a moment, hands resting firmly on Mark’s waist, eyes scanning down Mark’s body, “You didn’t fuck, did you?” It was far-fetched, Haechan was sure he’d be able to smell if they had, but he wanted to give Mark the opportunity to confess- also to tease him a bit.

“N-no! Oh my God, no, Hyuck!” Mark exasperated, hitting Haechan’s chest playfully as his face heated up in embarrassment, “Stop, of course we didn’t. We just… slept.” He explained with an unreasonable pause that immediately had Haechan’s attention.

“And...?” Hyuck prompted, raising an eyebrow, but Mark was swallowing and pulling away, “Oh come on, it’s  _ me _ , you have to tell  _ me _ !” Hyuck went on, tugging at the back of Mark’s sweater as he tried to climb out of bed, falling backwards onto the mattress in defeat. Haechan crawled over him, sitting on his thighs to keep him there,

“He just- we- uh, it’s not a big deal, Hyuckie!” Mark grumbled, but Haechan still had that challenging look on his face as he pinned Mark to the bed, smirk plastering his lips condescendingly, “We j-just cuddled, it was nice.” He mumbled under his breath, eyes flicking to the side as he avoided Hyuck’s gaze. 

“This is progress!” Haechan screeched, shaking Mark by the shoulders and immediately apologising afterwards as he was reminded that Mark was freshly out of Heat, “This is great, is he staying again tonight?” Mark frowned, confused at the reaction as Haechan slowly climbed off his hips, massaging his thighs in apology.

“I thought you didn’t like the idea of us two, what made you change your mind in a night?” Mark mumbled, groaning as Hyuck kneaded his muscles skillfully, easing the tension out of him and making him seep into the bed sheets.

“I like the idea of you being happy and if that means you being with him, then I guess that means I like the idea of you two.” Haechan shrugged, pouting at Mark as he hissed at a particularly uncomfortable muscle knot in his thigh.

“A-ah, keep going.” Mark groaned, Hyuck sensing his discomfort and pressing his thumbs a little harder against the muscle, “I hope he stays the night again. I feel better with his scent around.” He smiled to himself, throwing his forearm over his head, staring dazedly at the ceiling.

“No, you feel better when  _ he’s _ around. His scent comes with it, but you want him as well, I can tell.” Haechan mumbled knowingly, looking up at the sound of the ensuite latch clicking, Johnny exiting the bathroom with a plume of steam. Mark propped himself up on his elbows, looking to Johnny and then to Haechan with a hesitant look, half in concern of him hearing them and half in concern of what might happen next.

“Why do you both look like I’ve caught you doing something wrong?” Johnny asked a little bewildered, eyes wide in innocent confusion as he dried his hair with a soft white towel. He’d dressed himself in a pair of grey joggers from his bag and a white, cotton long-sleeved shirt. Mark tried not to stare.

“We were talking about you.” Haechan replied nonchalantly, shrugging as he went on massaging Mark’s thighs.

“Haechan! We- we weren’t talking about you, just Hyuck was.” Mark concluded, dropping Hyuck in it completely. Johnny laughed heartily, looking to Hyuck with a contagious sort of smile,

“All bad things, I hope?” He tested, ruffling his hair again with the towel before he switched the bathroom light off and began opening the french doors to let in the cold, winter air. Their scents were clogging up the room and the dull smell of Heat was still underlying it, making his head spin a little. Mark bit his lip, watching Johnny, looking away quickly when he was caught staring. Johnny came to sit on the edge of the bed as Haechan gave him a challenging look,

“How did you know?” Hyuck teased, voice light, just like highschool, “Have you been looking after him? His thighs are all cramped up, it doesn’t seem like you're taking very good care of him.” He went on, a condescending tone to his voice and Johnny looked temporarily taken aback before recovering with an easy smile.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Mark.” Johnny began, looking to Mark and gently ruffling his hair, then to Haechan, “I didn’t know he was in pain, would you let us go out for a walk around campus or is it not in the Alpha-Omega friendship guidelines?” Johnny asked with a little smile. Mark tried to hold back a laugh at how aggravated Haechan was already looking from the conversation.

“I’m not his mother, he can do what he likes.” Hyuck said dismissively, patting Mark’s thighs and sliding off the bed, “But you’re not leaving until I see you in at least five layers of clothing.”

“But it’s not even that cold-”

“Five layers, Mark, or you’re not going.”

Mark inhaled the winter air gratefully, his head clearing as he stretched his legs, walking along the road lined with trees that usually bloomed so beautifully in the spring, but right now they were bare and naked, scrawny branches pointing up to the sky like they were beckoning for the snow to fall.

“Haechan seems more persistent than usual.” Johnny mumbled absentmindedly, looking at Mark beside him as he smiled behind his scarf.

“He’s persistent at the best of times, but he’s a force to be reckoned with straight out of Heat. I mean, who’d ever expect  _ Donghyuck _ to grace me with a massage? Not me, that’s for sure.” Mark laughed quietly to himself, Johnny joining in as he thought back all the relentless teasing that Mark had to put up with from Haechan. 

“It’s cute, it’s like he’s making up for lost time.” Johnny said softly, noticing a group of Beta’s walking on the opposite side of the pavement. He silently slid his hand over Mark’s lower back, a hint of his possessive nature showing in the small action. Mark had noticed it when they’d first started walking actually. Johnny had a habit of touching Mark somewhere whenever other people were in their vicinity on campus, it was strange, but Mark didn’t mind it. 

“What about you? How will you make up for lost time?” Mark asked, looking up at him as they stopped outside the convenience store. Johnny moved around to face him, sliding his hands onto his waist through the thick layers of his winter coat. Mark looked up at him with a levelled gaze, smiling as he noticed Johnny blowing the thick fur hood from out of his face.

“Well, what would you like? Being with you is a start, but what would make you feel as though I mean this? That I want this?” Johnny asked cautiously, a thousand things left unspoken, but Mark let them all hang in the air as he leant up to whisper against Johnny’s ear.

“Do something that’ll make me wish you’d done it sooner. That should give you some bonus points.” Mark said softly, standing flat on his feet again to study Johnny’s curious, tense expression. He bit his lip, nodding in response,

“Let me guess, you’re not going to tell me what it is, are you? I have to work it out myself, huh?” He smiled, pulling Mark in as a group of students passed by with their suitcases. Mark’s breath hitched at the proximity, the firm hands on his lower back as he grabbed at the front of Johnny’s coat. 

“I- I think you’ll be able to work it out pretty quickly.” Mark smiled up at him, pulling back before his heart would begin beating out his chest, “Coffee?” He offered, cocking his head towards the convenience store. Johnny nodded, following with a smile as he watched Mark bundle some snacks into his arms before they made towards the coffee machine. They were halfway into arguing about who should get the first cup when a voice appeared from behind them,

“Johnny? Christ, where’ve you been? Everyone’s been looking all over for you!” Mark turned around first, Johnny sighing and composing himself before doing the same, dragging a fake smile onto his face. 

“Taemin, it’s good to see you.” Johnny managed steadily, but Mark could smell the aggravation in his scent, wondering momentarily if even the Beta in front of them might be able to smell it. Mark smiled at the Beta politely, a little intimidated by his obvious beauty. He had broad shoulders and a perfect set of teeth when he smiled, his eyes sharp and perfectly shaped along with his pouty lips. Mark had a right to be intimidated. 

“We haven’t seen you since the party, where’ve you been? It’s been days!” Taemin exasperated, sparing Mark a quick look and Mark could’ve been imagining things but it looked as if Taemin frowned at him. His suspicions were confirmed when Johnny wrapped a strong hand around Mark’s waist, making him flinch a moment at the sudden possessive touch. 

“I’ve been busy, a lot went on that night and I made some connections with my friends back from highschool. This is Mark.” He turned to Mark, a look behind his eyes that Mark had trouble reading, “And this is Taemin, we study together-”

“Study together?” Taemin began with an exasperated laugh, “Oh, we go way back, Johnny. Don’t play it down!” He said confidently, sparing Mark another quick look as if he wasn’t worth their time, but Johnny was tightening his hold on Mark’s waist, “Hold on, is he that boy from the beginning of term? The one that Lucas punched you over? Is he really worth a busted lip?” Taemin continued, speaking as if Mark wasn’t there and Johnny had just about had enough of this, but Mark even moreso. He pulled out of Johnny’s grip and made his way towards the cash register to pay for their items. Johnny watched him go for a moment, making sure he wasn’t looking before he dragged Taemin outside, pushing him up against the brick wall as he cursed in confusion. 

“Listen, Taemin, whatever you have to say about him, I don’t want to hear it. I’m done with pretending, I’m done with all of this, I was stupid to even think that-”

“Wait, this is all because of  _ him _ ? That Omega? Are you serious, Johnny? He’s  _ nobody _ -” Taemin began, but Johnny pressed him harder into the brick wall, his head knocking back.

“I swear to God, Taemin, I will  _ ruin you _ .” Johnny growled, possessiveness curling around his spine and making him go crazy. He could feel his Alpha taking over, the grip on Taemin’s shirt was strong enough to have split a few threads, so that was a start. 

“Are we seriously fighting about this right now? You said it yourself at that party, he’s not an Omega, he’s not an Alpha- Christ, he’s not even a Beta! Why’re you being like this? You could have anyone, Johnny, so why him? You’ll be an embarrassment-” Taemin rambled, but Johnny had heard enough and didn’t hesitate to throw his fist right across the left side of Taemin’s jaw, eyes burning as he growled inhumanly.

“Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth!” He was never like this, sure, he’d been in his fair share of drunken scraps, but never like this. He was sober, he was in control, but he was  _ seething _ . Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear himself cursing out the fact that he’d lost his cool, but the other voice was screaming at him to keep going, to defend Mark’s honour, his reputation.

“What the fuck, Johnny!” Taemin was screaming, pushing back with his Beta force and socking the Alpha in the gut, taking advantage of his moment of vulnerability and throw him to the ground, but Johnny was still stronger, shifting their positions so he could pin Taemin against the gravel and continue ruining his stupidly pretty face.

“He’s good, Taemin! He’s perfect and he was my friend before any of you tried to ruin me!” Johnny spat in his face, the blood from Taemin’s nose dripping down his face and between his teeth crudely.

“You’re fucking crazy, Johnny, fucking insane-” Taemin began, eyes going a little wider as he felt Johnny shift above him, Mark coming into view with an unimpressed look on his face.

“Jesus fuck, Johnny! What the hell is going on?” Mark’s fingers were clasped around the sleeve of Johnny’s winter coat, Omega scent thick in the air and Johnny knew it was meant to make him want to protect Mark, to divert his attention from the situation at hand. His instincts won him over.

“Nothing.” Johnny spat on the floor, pulling himself to his feet and taking Mark’s wrist to guide him away, “We’re leaving.”

“W-wait-! What- you should call someone for him!” Mark was scrambling in Johnny’s grip, trying to turn back and help Taemin, but Johnny was pulling him back to face him properly, a stern look on his face that made Mark shrink into himself.

“Mark, we’re leaving, he can look after his damn self.” Johnny spared Taemin a glance as he sat up to spit a mouthful of blood and give Johnny a dirty look.

“You’re being reckless, Johnny, we know you’ll come crawling back, you pathetic piece of shit.” Taemin yelled after him and Mark was close to turning around and giving him a piece of his mind, but Johnny sensed it, tightening his grip on Mark’s wrist and shaking his head small. They walked away, Johnny holding Mark close into his side as his Alpha flared in his chest,

“See you in hell, Taemin.”

Mark rounded him once they turned the corner, holding Johnny’s forearms with an anxious look on his face,

“What the fuck was that all about? I left you for five minutes, Johnny! There’s blood on your knuckles.” Mark pulled his hands up between them, inspecting the splattering of red across his skin and the hem of his coat sleeves.

“It’s fine, it’s not my blood-”

“That doesn’t make it any better!” Mark exasperated, looking up at him to check for any injuries to his face, “Just tell me what happened? I’m- I’m worried.” Johnny sighed, restraining from running his hand through his hair and dirtying it with blood. Mark watched his internal struggle and ran his own hand through Johnny’s hair, smiling at him sadly, a hint of encouragement in his expression.

“He said some stuff about you and I lost control, that’s it.” Johnny said shortly, but Mark was biting his lip, looking more concerned than before. 

“You felt it, didn’t you? You went all Alpha, right?” Mark asked, reminding Johnny of the time back in highschool in which they’d learnt all about this. Mark had been excited to see what it’d feel like, but Johnny had been sceptical- he knew he had a right to now.

“Yeah, it wasn’t all it’s racked up to be, Mark.” Johnny said a little crestfallen, like it was bad news, but Mark’s scent swelled comfortingly as they began walking up the driveway towards the Sorority and Fraternity houses.

“Well, that’s good, I’m not jealous now.” Mark said sarcastically, but Johnny was giving him a strange look, clearly not having caught on.

“Seriously?” He asked, confusion written in his eyes, but Mark was stopping, raising his hand to hit Johnny’s chest, but Johnny’s hand came with it and only then did he realise that they’d been holding hands since they’d left Taemin.

“Of course not! Which part of this is good? Johnny, you half-killed that beautiful creature, a pack of centaurs are probably on their way to kill  _ you _ right now!” Mark was babbling, anxiety seeping from his scent as he thought it all through.

“Mark, calm down, he’s fine. He got what he deserved and don’t exaggerate it, I did  _ not _ half-kill him. At worst, he’ll have a few battle scars and a busted lip, Haechan did worse on me.” Johnny said easily, sighing when Mark didn’t look convinced, “Look, yes, I lost control, but it wasn’t uncalled for. He said some things that- he just got under my skin, okay? I don’t think I would’ve cared so much if it had been about one of the others, someone who wasn’t an Omega, but it was about you and I care about you- my- my Alpha clearly cares as well.” Johnny bit his lip at the implication, sensing Mark’s understanding a little further than he’d meant to admit, “I promise it won’t happen again, I’m just- I don’t know- I feel responsible for you, it’s not like usual.” Johnny tried to work it through in his head, but Mark was looking up at him with such a pretty gaze, eyes round and innocent as if he were hanging on Johnny’s every word. 

“Yeah, I felt that way after Haechan finished beating the shit out of you that night, but I’m not an Alpha. I can’t understand exactly what it feels like, but you really- you worried me. You looked at me like I was a stranger when I first came to stop you, but when you realised it was me, it was like you… came back.” Mark mumbled, stepping in a little as he slid his hands up Johnny’s winter coat, trying to play it off as him smoothing out the fabric, but Johnny’s hands were flying up and holding them there on his chest. 

“I’m sorry, I really am. It feels like I’m doing a lot of that recently, apologising.” Johnny sighed, rubbing his thumb over Mark’s hands as he held them against his chest, “But you have to know that I’m trying. I’m trying to be better, to- to be there for you, but I’m also still learning about my Alpha. The same with you and your Omega, granted, you seem to be doing a lot better job of getting used to your orientation than me, but I’m trying.” He dropped his gaze, shuffling his feet in the gravel as Mark stared up at him carefully. 

“I know,” Mark mumbled, pulling his hands from Johnny’s to wrap them around his waist instead, tucking his head under Johnny’s chin as he relaxed against his chest, “I know, Youngho, you’re doing great.” Johnny smiled to himself, nestling his nose into Mark’s hair as he held him tightly in his arms, hugging him close enough to engulf him in his jacket. Mark giggled. 

“Let’s go in, you’ll get frostbite.” Johnny said quietly, pressing a kiss to the crown of Mark’s head, disentangling him after a moment longer. Mark nodded, reluctantly pulling away and guiding them to the house, oblivious of Haechan smiling sadly from his bedroom window. 

Sicheng had been restless since the morning after the party when he’d left Yuta’s bed. Of course, they’d been spending time together, but when it got to the evening, Sicheng felt a little out of his depth and had always slipped home to sleep in his own bed, but it was never really what he wanted. Sicheng was  _ never _ out of his depth, yet here he was not being able to platonically spend the night with his two boyfriends- sure, he was little out of his depth when spending the night didn’t include sex, but it couldn’t be that hard, right? The worst part was that Sicheng hadn’t even been going home to sleep, because when he got into bed he’d simply lay there and stare at his ceiling, suddenly wide awake. He wondered if Taeil stayed with Yuta, if they talked about him and he realised how he was missing out on those things, began regretting the choice of leaving, but it didn’t change the fact that he declined Yuta’s offer every time he asked if he’d spend the night with them. Taeil even picked up on it when he noticed Sicheng’s eyes getting heavy during his favourite movie, it was unlike him to fall asleep during movies,  _ especially _ his favourite. 

However, the situation changed when Taeil and Yuta decided to come to the Sorority one afternoon, letting themselves into Sicheng’s room without a problem. 

“What are you doing here?” Sicheng smiled as he exited the bathroom in a long night shirt. Taeil stood to kiss him gently, Yuta crawling across the bed to do the same. 

“Mh, we thought we’d change it up, come and bother you instead.” Yuta smiled, playing with Sicheng’s hands as he moved between them on the bed, tucking his face into Sicheng’s neck to scent him immediately. He got clingy when he was tired and it made sense that he was wearing one of Taeil’s hoodies, scenting Sicheng and trailing his hands over every inch of them both. Taeil gave him an apologetic look. 

“Sorry, he slept badly last night.” Taeil explained, a hand on Sicheng’s thigh and the other on his lower back, “Oh my God, Yuta, let him breathe.” Taeil chastised, smacking Yuta’s arm playfully, but he was humming, brushing him off as he continued. 

“Oh, my baby, you’re also not sleeping well?” Sicheng cooed, cradling Yuta’s head as he pouted teasingly, “I wouldn’t mind taking a nap too.” Sicheng hummed, sliding his hand over the one Taeil had on his thigh to guide it up to his abdomen, spoon him as they lay down. 

“You woke up late today, are you sure there’s nothing else the matter?” Taeil asked gently against the back of Sicheng’s neck, partly to Sicheng and partly to Yuta. He kissed along Sicheng’s collarbone, linking his fingers with Yuta’s on Sicheng’s hipbone. 

“I’m fine, I just want to be with you.” Sicheng replied softly, nosing at Yuta’s forehead as he sank lower down the bed, both of them already getting sleepy with Taeil’s gentle scent surrounding them. 

The peace was broken just over an hour in, Taeil jerking awake when he heard Yuta breathing hard, sobs climbing up his throat. Taeil was quick to untangle himself from Sicheng, crawl over the bed and place his hands on Yuta’s shoulders. 

“Shh- hey, Yuta, it’s alright. I’m here, you’re alright.” Taeil soothed, gently moving Sicheng’s half-asleep form from Yuta as to help with the oncoming panic attack that was rising in Yuta’s chest, “Baby, I need you to pull your legs to your chest, can you do that? Breathe with me, okay?” Taeil said softly, Sicheng awake now and sitting behind him with an anxious look on his face, his bitter scent spreading around the room and Taeil wanted to tell him to stop, but he was focused on Yuta now. 

“Y-you- you’re h-here.” Yuta stuttered, voice cracking as he pulled his knees to his chest, head spinning with the lack of oxygen from hyperventilating. His fingers felt fuzzy as Taeil took them in his own, exaggerating his breaths for Yuta to follow, he’d done this a million times. 

“I’m here, see? And Chengie’s here too, we’re both fine, right, Sicheng?” Taeil said slowly, brushing Yuta’s hair from his face and looking over his shoulder at Sicheng who was nodding frantically, crawling closer and looking between them both in concern. 

“Y-yeah, I’m here, Yuta. I’m right here, baby.” Sicheng mumbled, fingers hesitantly tracing patterns over Yuta’s forearm, but it was soothing and Taeil was nodding for him to go on, “Taeil and I aren’t going anywhere, we’re right here.” Taeil slid a hand to the small of Sicheng’s back in encouragement. 

“That’s right, we’re not leaving you.” Taeil added, wiping the tears from Yuta’s cheeks and pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Just breathe, you’re doing so good, baby.” It was a long while before Yuta’s breathing returned to normal, his head feeling light and his vision blurry and spinning in front of him, but Taeil and Sicheng were patient. They helped lay him back down, helping him settle as he returned to his usual self, Sicheng feeding him sips of water and Taeil combing his fingers through his hair to try and get him back to sleep, Yuta in the middle this time. 

“Th-thanks, Hyung.” Yuta mumbled against the pillow, fingers going limp against Taeil’s as he drifted back to sleep. Sicheng pressed a kiss to the back of his neck, meeting Taeil’s eye with a hesitant look, 

“W-will he be okay?” He asked carefully, fingers brushing Taeil’s hair from his eyes soothingly. 

“Yeah, he’ll be fine.” Taeil explained, keening into the touch, “He started getting night terrors when he first presented, we thought they’d pass, but he’s still having them.” Taeil bit his lip, staring at Yuta’s sleeping form. Sicheng’s breath hitched, lips going back to Yuta’s neck in comfort. 

“Is it worse being here? I can come to the Fraternity next time if it makes him feel better?” Sicheng asked, body spooning Yuta’s body closer between him and Taeil. 

“It’s not that, actually I think he did better with you here. He doesn’t usually calm down that quickly, it normally takes a few hours, but I think he’s better with you here.” Taeil smiled at him, cupping the hand that held his face, “And I’ve never seen him go back to sleep so willingly afterwards, usually he’d try and occupy himself- no matter how tired- just to avoid sleeping.” He went on, Sicheng sighing sadly. Yuta had always seemed so stable and level-headed. It hurt Sicheng to think that he was going through all of this. 

“I want you both to stay the night.” Sicheng spoke up after a moment, voice decisive as he held Taeil’s gaze, “I don’t- I don’t know how to do all of this, I’m scared you won’t want me after everything, but I want to learn. The only reason I left all those times was because I only know how to spend the night when there’s an agenda.” Sicheng dropped his face in guilt, hand sliding away from Taeil’s face as he admitted it, but Taeil was quick to pull at his hand again, hold his fingers gently. 

“We want you, Sicheng, we want you in all the ways you’ll let us have you. Agenda or not, we love spending time with you,” Taeil paused, kissing Sicheng’s wrist longingly, “But we also don’t want to rush you. If you don’t feel like spending the night with us yet, then we’ll understand, it’s not going to push us away. I’m glad you told me, we were worried about you, you know.” Sicheng smiled gently, content since telling him and Taeil could tell from his scent that it’d been weighing on him for a while. He leant over Yuta’s body to kiss Sicheng slowly, lips soft and tongues tangling messily, enough to have Sicheng gasping once they pulled apart. He gave him a lasting kiss before leaning back with a smile and urging him to sleep. 

Mark was on the balcony when Johnny came out of his shower, hair damp and dripping onto the towel he had around his shoulders. Mark took a drag of his cigarette, trying his best to avoid staring at Johnny’s lean body for too long through his thin, white t-shirt.

“I thought you stopped smoking.” Johnny said with a smirk, leaning against the french doors as he crossed his arms over his chest. They’d eaten a proper meal together that night and Kun had sent Mark a few teasing texts about it, they’d been blatantly ignored.

“I did,” He said back, tapping the ash over the side of the balcony and looking down at the decaying plants he’d accidentally killed already, “I was just thinking.” Johnny scoffed at that, stepping up beside him and sliding his hand into Mark’s jacket pocket for the carton of cigarettes and his lighter. Mark raised an eyebrow, trying to hide the way his breath caught in his throat as Johnny cupped his hand around the lighter, face shadowed in the low, evening light.

“And thinking makes you smoke?” Johnny asked curiously, slipping the things into the pocket of his joggers, “That sounds like a bad habit.” He teased, balancing the cigarette between nimble fingers and Mark was back to thinking dirty thoughts. His sexual awakening over fingers couldn’t have come at a worse time. He swallowed roughly, trying his best to avert his gaze and control his scent.

“Of course it’s a bad habit, you were the one that taught me it!” Mark shot back, giving him a dirty look out the corner of his eye, but Johnny was laughing, knocking his head back as he held onto the balustrade of the balcony.

“Really? Back in highschool? Wow, you kept it up for a long time.” Johnny nudged at his side, reminding Mark of the time they’d stolen Haechan’s mom’s credit card to buy a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of cheap liquor from the convenience store. Johnny was the only one who’d known how to smoke back then- no wonder Mark’s mother used to call him a bad influence.

“What else could I do? You weren’t there to teach me other coping mechanisms.” Mark half-joked, but the mood turned solemn rather quickly, silence settling in for a while. Johnny bit his lip as he took another drag,

“Yeah, I guess I wasn’t.” He said sadly, tapping the ash away before he turned to Mark with a pained look in his eyes, “You could’ve done better, you know. I always wondered why you and Haechan chose me when you both could’ve done with so much better- God, you  _ deserved _ so much better, so why me?” It was cliché and Johnny was half expecting Mark to not respond, but he was stubbing his cigarette out in a plant pot-come-ashtray.

“Because you didn’t care what you looked like to other people when you were around us.” Mark said simply, turning to look at him as well, “You were so much more carefree with us- it felt like the only time you weren’t pretending, was when we were there.” He explained, thinking back to how distraught Johnny had been during his parents divorce, how he’d watched his dad get on a plane back to Chicago and not come to class the next day. Mark remembered Johnny at his best and at his worst and even the days when he felt broken, Johnny played pretend. 

“Yeah, well, it was easier with you two. You didn’t mind if I wasn’t myself, you always made me feel better.” Johnny went on, stubbing his cigarette out in the plant pot as well, before stuffing his hands into his pockets, “Come on, let’s go inside.” Johnny suggested softly, eyes gentle and reminiscent. Mark had missed this.

“W-wait,” He stuttered, grabbing at Johnny’s sleeve, not quite ready to let the moment go just yet, but he wasn’t sure how to freeze time until- “Kiss me? Please?” He wasn’t expecting himself to say that. Johnny turned to him in shock, mouth dropping open in surprise, a careful look on his face as if he were about to turn him down, but instead, he spoke.

“I- I want to, Mark, I want it so bad,” Johnny stepped in, cupping Mark’s face gently, fingers a little rough against his skin, “But I’m scared that if I start, I might not be able to stop.”

“Good.” He shot out, leaning up on his feet to rest a hand on Johnny’s chest, the other on his waist as he pressed his lips against Johnny’s, mouth parted as he let Johnny take the lead, much too Omega for his own good. Johnny breathed out against his lips, nipping at Mark’s bottom lip and pressing his tongue slowly into his mouth, the hand on his jaw sliding down to his hips as he pulled him in, tilting his head to kiss him deeper. Mark let out a soft moan, insides turning to liquid gold as Johnny held him, mouth ravishing his own, hungrily licking between his lips until he surrendered, pressing their tongues together, slow and nasty and  _ so-fucking-good. _ It was embarrassing how quickly Mark began losing himself, whimpering softly, body reacting when Johnny pressed his thumbs under his sweater, firmly rubbing circles against his skin. Mark didn’t want it to end as he reluctantly pulled away, gasping at the sensation. He didn’t get like this when it was Haechan doing that, but then again, Haechan wasn’t an Alpha.

“Sh-shit, are you okay? Do you want to stop?” Johnny began, hands retreating, but Mark was leaning into the touch, eyes pleading for him to go on, but Johnny was shaking his head reluctantly, “We should stop before I do something that Haechan would surely identify as sexual assault. Whether you want it or not, Haechan’s calling it an assault, I guarantee it.” He smiled gently, breath brushing against Mark’s dampened lips. 

“I- I’m sorry.” Mark muttered, dropping his head and backing off a little, but Johnny held his waist a little firmer, a hiccup pulling from his throat at the touch. 

“Why are you sorry?” Johnny asked, pushing the French doors open to guide Mark inside, hand not leaving his waist as he did so. Mark stopped them in front of the vanity mirror, waiting as Johnny locked the doors.

“Isn’t that what I’m supposed to say?” Mark asked in confusion, a mirroring frown dipping between Johnny’s eyebrows as he came to stand in front of him again. 

“No, Mark, why would you need to say-” Then Johnny understood- Mark thought he’d made a mistake, he thought that Johnny didn’t want this, want  _ him _ , “Here, sit down,” Johnny guided him back to his bed, kneeling down between Marks knees as he sat at the foot of his bed, “Do you know how much I’ve wanted to kiss you again since that time under the bleachers?” Mark shook his head, biting his lip at the memory as Johnny held his hands in his lap. 

“That was a mistake-” Mark began, but Johnny was interrupting, shaking his head. 

“That was a bad attempt at a confession. Mark, I wanted you then and I still want you now. I- I was willing to work for it if you had presented as an Alpha, I  _ wanted _ it to work, I just didn’t understand how to do that. I didn’t know what you wanted or needed and I thought- I thought you were in love with Hyuck. I didn’t want to stand in the way of you two when he was sure to be an Omega and you an Alpha. It was perfect, I didn’t want to screw it up.” Johnny sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Mark was looking at him in shock, confusion dwindling in his eyes as he tried to work out where to go from there. 

“B-but Hyuck left. How could we have ended up together when he was thousands of miles away?” Mark asked a little frantically, his scent spiking in distress as he tried to work out four years of misunderstood history. Surely Johnny couldn’t have felt the same way, not for  _ this _ long. 

“I know you two. I know that when you both set your minds to something you won’t rest until it’s accomplished. You would’ve made it work with him even if it had killed you.” Johnny swallowed dryly, eyes darting away, “That’s why I left you. I knew that if I ended up sticking around, I’d never get over you.” Johnny tried to explain, staring blankly at their joined hands in Mark’s lap. He’d spent so long replacing the empty space in his bed with bad excuses, bland hookups, bratty dates. None of them had looked like Mark, none of them had even a hint of similarity and it was all done in vain, because he still hadn’t forgotten the way Mark’s lips had tasted that afternoon under the bleachers. 

As the new term began, things began to change. As well as the unexpected arrival of a new Alpha- yes, Renjun had been right about him too- relationships began forming and for most of them that was great, but right now for Taeyong, it was- well it wasn’t what he’d been expecting. 

Taeyong shifted uncomfortably, trying not to eavesdrop on the conversation Ten was having with his parents over the phone. 

“... yes, he’s an Omega…” Ten began again, Taeyong cringing as he lay in Ten’s bed, nose pressed into the pillows as he used the Alpha scent to calm his nerves, “... you knew he’d be a  _ he _ , mum, I’m still gay!” If the situation had been any different Taeyong would’ve found that hilarious, but right now he just wasn’t in the mood. His Heat was due soon and it meant missing classes that he’d just started, he hated falling behind and it was always worse when recovery took up time as well. Taeyong sighed to himself, looking up as Ten exited the bathroom, tapping his phone off as he ended the call with a frustrated growl. 

“Your parents?” Taeyong tried to fake innocence, but Ten was flopping onto the bed, face in the sheets, missing Taeyong’s failing façade. 

“I want to strangle them.” He mumbled in response, blindly reaching for Taeyong’s thigh in comfort, “I’m buying time, but they want to meet you.” Taeyong swallowed dryly at the implication. They’d barely been dating a month- he wasn’t ready for  _ this _ . He curled his hand into Ten’s scalp,

“Is it normal to meet rich parents this quickly? Will it be like the movies?” Taeyong asked, trying to ease the tension a little, “Maybe they’ll offer me a huge sum of money in order of staying away from you, like in those dramas?” Ten laughed at that, shaking his head quickly. Taeyong was grateful to see his smile right now. 

“No, no, they just want us settling down quickly. My mother can be quite ridiculous sometimes.” Ten thought back to what she’d said about marriage proposals and mating rituals and Omega fertility on the phone. It sort of made him want to plan his own funeral, “But I like you, Yongie, I like you so much. We can take this as slow as you like, she’ll just have to get used to it.” Taeyong felt at ease from hearing that. His fingers relaxed against Ten’s scalp as the Alpha sat up to look at him, kissing his knuckles and laying his head in Taeyong’s lap. 

“Thanks, baby.” Taeyong hummed under his breath, silence falling over them for a moment until he spoke up again, “Are you tired? You taught a full day today, let’s rest.” Ten groaned in response, limbs aching from the classes he’d lead and all the dances he’d run through. Taeyong had been lucky with his schedule, all classes pretty evenly spread throughout the week, but even the shorter schedules he stayed on afterwards to join Ten’s classes. 

“You had contemporary with Kai today, right? How’re your feet?” Ten asked, playing with Taeyong’s fingers absentmindedly as they got comfortable against the sheets. 

“Mh, I’m fine, he went easy on us today.” Taeyong huffed out a laugh, “I’m sure it won’t last long though.” He went on, knowing just how quick Kai could change his mind about routines and classes. Ten laughed at that,

“You’re not supposed to say that to me! I’m his coworker!” He joked, but Ten was sobering after a moment, regarding Taeyong again, “Are you really okay, though? I know your Heat’s due soon and I don’t want you overdoing it.” Taeyong smiled at him, closing his eyes and sighing long. 

“I’m fine, really. Your scent is good at calming me down during classes. I nabbed one of your sweaters to keep in my gym bag, it helps whenever I get too stressed out.” Taeyong said softly, blushing at the confession, but Ten was beaming at him stupidly. 

“Do you really? That’s- that’s so cute.” Ten stared at him, unable to stop himself from leaning in and kissing him. Taeyong squirmed at the sudden attention, grabbing at Ten’s shoulders as he crawled over his waist. 

“Y-Yeah, well, your scent’s good.” Taeyong said vaguely, leaving out the fact that it made him a little feral sometimes. It made him want to roll around in it like a pup, cover himself in the scent until he could barely even smell himself, but he knew Ten would tease him for that. Taeyong curled into his side, doing the next best thing and scenting him slowly as he nuzzled his neck. 

“Will you stay the night?” Ten asked softly, groaning as Taeyong teasingly nibbled on his collarbone. He hummed in thought,

“Mh, yeah, I have a late morning lesson tomorrow so there’s time to run back to the Sorority and change.” Taeyong hummed, sighing as Ten submissively tilted his neck, giving Taeyong the control. It wasn’t long, though, before Ten was passed out in exhaustion. 

Taeil was asleep in his Economics textbook when Yuta arrived at the library, Sicheng running late. They’d planned to meet, study for a while and then go for lunch, but clearly Taeil was behind on the studying part. Yuta smiled, placing his portfolio folder down on the desk and shrugging off his bag and coat as he took a seat beside Taeil. 

“Hyungie?” Yuta sing-songed, leaning his head on the desk across from Taeil’s, wiping the drool from his lips before it dripped onto his overpriced textbook, “Sicheng will be here in a minute.” He continued softly, leaning his head in a palm as he observed the Alpha. 

“Awh, our Alpha got sleepy without us?” Sicheng appeared a moment later, just as Yuta had said, leaning over the table to give Yuta a chaste kiss before taking the seat opposite Taeil, winding his fingers into his hair. 

“How was your lesson?” Yuta asked gently, looking to Sicheng as they tried to rouse Taeil from sleep. Sicheng slid his fingers over Yuta’s clear portfolio file, tracing the outline of a new architectural piece he’d started recently. 

“It was alright. Japanese is hard, you know, but English is going well.” Sicheng said, tapping his finger audibly against the file, “This is new, what’ll you build this time?” He teased, cocking his head to try and figure it out, disfigured from the other drawings laying atop it. Yuta loved Sicheng’s innocence with the whole ordeal, he loved that Sicheng was interested, even if he hadn’t built anything yet (of course, he was only in his second year). 

“Oh, it’s a cathedral, just something I wanted to try out. It’s not an assignment or anything.” Yuta paused as Taeil stirred, groaning as he opened his eyes, subconsciously leaning into Sicheng’s touch. 

“Have you finally made yourself known in the land of the living, Taeilie?” Sicheng teased, turning to Taeil as he rubbed his eyes with a groan, looking unbelievably small for once. Yuta chuckled, flattening his hair as he sat up,

“Did Economics get too boring for you?” Taeil groaned in response, desperately wanting to thud his head back down onto his textbook, but Yuta had a soft grip on the back of his neck, playing with the shorter strands of his hair. At least that felt good. 

“You have no idea.” He shot back, slamming the textbook shut as he began gathering his things, “Let’s go to lunch, we need to talk about your Rut, Yuta. You’re due in a couple weeks.”

Johnny sat across from Lucas at the kitchen table, Mark upstairs in Johnny’s en-suite shower as he got ready for class. Kun and Jaehyun tried their best to ignore the awkward silence, hanging in the air like a morning mist, but it was getting increasingly harder as the two Alphas simply sat and stared at one another from across the table, the room reeking with pheromones. Kun was convinced he hadn’t seen either of them so much as blink. 

“When’s it appropriate to intervene?” Kun whispered to Jaehyun as he flipped the fried eggs with a spatula. 

“If we’re lucky, it should be never.” Jaehyun replied, groaning as he split the yolk of one of the eggs. 

“They’ve been like that for twenty minutes, shouldn’t we-”

“Hyung, can I borrow a- oh, Lucas! How are you?” Mark broke the silence, skipping into the kitchen in skinny jeans and a thin cotton top, Johnny’s sweater in hand. Kun smiled at him, handing him a coffee and dropping his voice as he came closer. 

“I’d love to give you some privacy, but those two have been staring daggers at each other the whole morning and I don’t want you getting caught up in the middle of an Alpha fight.” Kun said through his teeth, fake smiling before leaning back to flash him an encouraging look as he went back to the stove to join Jaehyun. 

“I’m doing well thanks, Mark.” Lucas said, the same time as Johnny spoke,

“Sure, borrow whatever you like.” Silence prevailed, Mark clearing his throat and taking a seat beside Johnny as the both of them kept up their staring match. He pulled Johnny’s sweater over his head,

“So, um, what’s been going on lately?” Mark asked Lucas, the anxiety settling in and he really hoped his scent wouldn’t let on. Silence. 

“Are you going to hurt him again?” Lucas suddenly spoke up, ignoring Mark’s question and staring at Johnny with anger in his eyes, knuckles white against the slate countertop. Johnny inhaled sharply, eyes narrowing dangerously and Mark had seen enough with Taemin to know what his Alpha was capable of. He slid a hand onto Johnny’s thigh,

“Lucas, that’s not-” Mark jumped in, but Lucas wasn’t satisfied without a response from him. He wanted to hear what Johnny had to say. 

“Tell me,  _ are _ you going to hurt him again?” Lucas repeated and this time he was graced with a low growl festering in Johnny’s chest, instinctively predatorial. Jaehyun stepped in, grabbing Johnny’s shoulder firmly,

“Lucas, lay off. Johnny, calm down, it’s not worth it.” Kun was at Mark’s side too, sipping at his coffee a little more leisurely, but then again, nothing terrible had really happened yet for him not to be enjoying his morning dose of caffeine. 

“I’m not the same person as-” Johnny began, but Lucas was leaning forward, hands on the countertop as he stared at him with a vengeance. 

“What, you’re not the same person as  _ 3 months ago _ ? Bullshit.” Lucas scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest now. Jaehyun tightened his hand on Johnny’s bicep and Mark stepped a little closer towards him. 

“I- I don’t want to keep making the same mistakes, Lucas.” Johnny said, surprisingly smoothly, given how shaken and sour his scent had turned. Kun watched carefully as Mark slid a hand onto Johnny’s lower back, making sure the little Omega wouldn’t get caught up in the crossfire, should things escalate. 

“And you promise not to hurt him again? That doesn’t seem likely with your track-record.” Lucas said bluntly, eyeing the way Mark’s hand slid gently over the small of Johnny’s back. The room was quiet for a while, Mark soothing Johnny with his scent as he tried to control himself. 

“I’m trying, Yukhei, I’m really trying.” Johnny mumbled, dropping his head as he processed the words. He didn’t have a good track-record and even an Alpha that Mark had known for three months could see that, but Mark still looked at him with those big, beautiful, forgiving eyes that Johnny knew he didn’t really deserve. 

“You know my- how do you know my name?” Lucas mumbled dumbly, surprised that Johnny even knew his Chinese name. 

“I told you, I’m trying. I saw it written on your notebook last term, my Chinese isn’t very good though.” Johnny stuttered the sentence out in broken Chinese. Kun smiled to himself, impressed, as Mark stood by in surprise and mild arousal that he was blatantly ignoring right now. 

“You speak Chinese.” Lucas said under his breath, frowning in slight confusion, but Johnny was shaking his head. 

“Just a little, not enough to talk with you fluently.” Johnny replied back in Mandarin, smirking as Kun barely contained himself from correcting the odd tone he’d misspoken. Lucas stared at him for another moment longer. 

“Yukhei? I was waiting for you at the Sorority, are you okay?” Hendery appeared in the doorway, his fresh scent following after him and lightening the mood before he frowned, reading the room, “O-oh, sorry for interrupting, is everything alright?” He asked, looking between the five of them with an apologetic expression. Mark nodded,

“Y-yeah, we just-” He cut off, not quite sure how to word it all. 

“Johnny speaks Chinese.” Jaehyun said dumbly, yelping as Kun kicked him, giving him a stern look. 

“I- oh- well, that’s cool-” Hendery began cautiously, eyes darting between everyone to try and gauge their responses, but Lucas was speaking over him. 

“You really won’t hurt him?” Lucas continued in Korean, voice hesitant and wavering slightly as if in doubt, but he was eyeing Mark now and only then did Johnny realise that Mark was practically attached to his side like a koala. It could’ve been instinct, but Johnny wasn’t quite sure he’d put it all down to that. 

“I promise. He’s important to me and I’m sick of lying.” Johnny explained, sliding his arm firmly around Mark’s waist as he pressed his nose into his chest, scenting Johnny wordlessly, “I’ll do my best, Yukhei, I swear. And you can be the one to put me out of my misery if I hurt him again. Haechan will probably want in on that too, but I’m sure you can work something out.” Johnny half-joked, but he knew that Hyuck and Lucas would be putting him six feet under should it come to Mark ending up with a broken heart. Lucas nodded, resolutely, deadly serious,

“Okay, but you better follow through on that. If you cause him so much as one tear, I  _ will _ break both your legs.” He added, Johnny being quick to nod in agreement, surprised at Lucas’ sincerity about the whole matter. Mark couldn’t help but feel like it was high school all over again. 

Mark was surprised to find Johnny, Jaehyun and Doyoung outside his building when he got out of class. Doyoung was the first to notice them, taking a final drag of his cigarette before stubbing it out with the toe of his shoe and waving Mark over. 

“Mark, where’s your coat? It’s winter!” Doyoung chastised, pulling the fabric of Mark’s hoodie between a finger and thumb to see how thin it was. Mark brushed him off with a shrug, 

“I’ll be fine once we start walking.” He replied, nodding his head towards the Fraternity and Sorority buildings, “So, why was it that I got the pleasure of three Alphas greeting me outside my class today? Am I in trouble or something?” He added, wrapping his arms around himself and almost scattering his stack of books and folders across the sidewalk. Jaehyun decided to take them from him before he did. 

“Well, our class ended early and we met Doyoung in the library. It’s close by so we decided to come along with Johnny to collect you.” Jaehyun explained, handing a few of Mark’s things to Doyoung. Mark visibly shivered.

“I can't believe you,” Johnny was beside him in a moment, unzippering his coat and sliding Mark’s arms into it, sleeves falling way past his fingertips as Johnny moved to zip it up again, “There, how's that?” Johnny asked gently, standing back to laugh softly at how big the fur-hooded coat looked on the little Omega. Mark stared up at him in alarm at how quick Johnny had gotten the coat on him,

“I- I would’ve been fine-” Mark began grumbling, but Jaehyun was scoffing, shaking his head as he caught up with Doyoung a few paces ahead of them. 

“You would  _ not _ have been fine.” Johnny shot back, trying not to giggle as Mark pouted cutely, “How are you? How was class?” He asked, sliding a hand onto Mark’s lower back as he brought him into his side.

“Good. I- I missed you.” Mark stuttered, biting his lip and hiding his face in the collar of the coat, “It’s strange being away from you for so long after spending everyday with you.” He tried to justify, but Johnny was already revelling in Mark’s confession.

“You missed me, huh?” Johnny teased and Mark was immediately groaning, hiding his face in a coat sleeve as they continued walking back to the Sorority, “Wanna tell me about it?” He went on and  _ no _ , Mark didn’t really want to tell him about it because it was more than a little embarrassing to, so much as, think about.

“No, we’re not talking about it.” Mark groaned in exasperation, looking up as they neared the house, “Are you coming up?” He asked, nodding towards the Sorority as they walked up the gravel drive.

“Sure, are you hungry? I can make you something.” Johnny replied easily, guiding Mark inside before being pounced on by Kun, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Doyoung.

“What is this?”

“Oh my God, Mark, is this really part of your course or are you just  _ horny _ ?”

“What is going on?” The four of them were yelling at him all at once, a stack of images and notes clutched in Doyoung’s hand and only then did Mark recognise his own writing. He pushed past them with a groan, making his way towards the kitchen and hearing Johnny let out an amused little gasp from behind him as they followed him.

“So, care to share with the class?” Johnny held an image in his hand, waving it about as Mark began making his own food. They all settled on the barstools to watch him,

“Trust me, it wasn’t my idea, I wanted to design a website or a damn postcard, not- not  _ that _ abomination.” Mark said vaguely, grabbing a saucepan from the top shelf and Johnny then realised how he was supposed to be helping. He guided Mark back to his seat and continued to make them dinner.

“You’re going to need to start from the beginning, Minhyungie.” Jungwoo teased, flicking through the papers and letting out a low whistle before passing the image on to Kun.

“Give me that!” Mark snatched the paper away, turning it face down on the tabletop as he glimpsed the outline he’d drawn of one of the characters, “Look, we got partnered with the Media students, all at random and I got teamed up with this… this guy who’s creating a VR porn game. I’m not doing anything other than the logo and the basic web design, but he wants me to do some sketchups for the characters to pass on to the visual effect artists.” He groaned, avoiding their gazes as he flushed a light pink. Johnny was leaning across the countertop now, tipping Mark’s face up with an amused little smirk,

“Oh? And where did this idea sprout from?” Johnny had the image that Kun and Jungwoo had been fawning over between his fingers, switching his gaze to eye the drawing of the naked character.

“Shut up, he had inspiration pictures, I was just going from what he gave me!” Mark shot back, making them laugh around him and he was back to hiding his face in his hands.

“Wow, are they even allowed to let students  _ make _ porn games?” Kun asked curiously, eyeing the naked man again and tilting his head before Jaehyun snatched the picture from his hands and tossed it aside.

“That’s what I said! Apparently, the Media students can do whatever they want, though. The only thing off limits is promotion of violence and providing unrated content to minors. There’s one other person with a porn game, a few with gambling apps, a lot of gaming websites and magazine design. I wanted to do magazine design!” Mark huffed, gathering all the papers into his hands and trying to stack them hastily, “Also, the guy I’m working with is really weird. He keeps asking me things about Omegas and what my Heats are like, I think he wants to try and incorporate it in the game.” Johnny surprised him with a choked off growl, Jaehyun raising his eyebrow at him to get him to take it down a notch.

“I hate that, are you sure you can’t switch partners, that seems weird.” Jungwoo mumbled, flicking through the naked sketches of women that Mark had also done, “Are there any other Alpha or Omega girls in your class?” He added as an afterthought. Mark thought for a moment,

“One Alpha girl, Hyosun, but I don’t really know her that well. Why do you ask?” Mark said carefully, he didn’t like to admit it, but he was sort of scared of Alpha girls. They were always so pretty and strong in such a delicate way that it was easy to forget they were Alphas at times. Mark had once seen an Alpha girl punch a Beta boy so hard- from touching an Omega girl up at a party- that Mark was pretty sure that his nose had to be reset. The reality of it was that Mark would easily be won over in a fight with a Beta, but he’d be  _ destroyed _ by an Alpha girl.

“Oh, Lim Hyosun? She’s nice, her girlfriend works with me at the coffee shop. Hyosun always comes and waits for her shift to end to walk her home. She’s really nice when you get to know her.” Doyoung piped up, “Jungwoo met her once or twice when he came to meet me after work.” He put in, Jungwoo brightening at the reminder.

“Oh! She’s sweet, I really like her fashion sense too.” Jungwoo paused, taking Doyoung’s phone and scrolling through it quickly, “Right, I’m sending you her number. You need some friends in that class. Not to say you don’t have any, but Alphas are strong and I know she’d look out for you if she noticed this guy being a creep.” Jungwoo reassured, tapping send on her contact and handing Doyoung’s phone back to him. Johnny let out a pleased little sound from the back of his throat and Mark was looking up with a smirk,

“Thanks, Jungwoo.” Johnny mumbled down the breakfast bar, straightening himself as he crossed the kitchen to continue making dinner, “And you have to tell me if he gets too weird, I promise not to go all Alpha, but there will be some form of reprimand if he gets too close for comfort.” He added under his breath.

“Yes, well, I think all the Alphas will be after him if that happens.” Jaehyun added, Doyoung nodding in agreement, “But for now, it sounds like Hyosun can handle him in class.” Mark nodded, almost wondering whether or not he should have brought this up, but Johnny was watching him carefully from across the kitchen, a hesitant look on his face.

Johnny turned on his side again, unable to get comfortable and he could tell from Mark’s breathing that he wasn’t asleep either, the talk they’d had earlier still buzzing around his head.

“Hey, calm down.” Mark was above him in a moment, straddling Johnny’s hips to make him stay still for a moment, “I know you’re in Alpha headspace from earlier, but you need to calm down or you’ll never get to sleep.” Mark said softly, hands resting on Johnny’s chest and it felt so good to have this much skin-on-skin contact for more than thirty seconds. Johnny sighed, hands running up and down Mark’s biceps before settling on cradling his face.

“I know, I just- I want to protect you and take care of you, but it’s hard when I’m not there.” Johnny said softly, tousling Mark’s hair as he ran his fingers through it, “Does he know that you have a boyfriend?” Mark felt a smile split his lips and Johnny was staring up at him a little worried.

“Boyfriend.” Mark echoed, attempting to hide his smile by biting his lip, but Johnny was thumbing at his mouth with a confused look, “I’ve never heard you say that before. I didn’t realise we were on labels, I like it.” In all fairness, Mark hadn’t even thought to have that conversation, he’d been too caught up in their quiet moments and fleeting touches that he’d not thought about putting a label on it, but it felt right now.

“I can take it back if you want? We can go back to being… very close friends?” Johnny cringed as he said it and Mark was laughing openly, sighing once he’d sobered.

“No, I like boyfriend.” He confirmed, pausing a moment as he tried to think his next words through carefully, “You know you don’t have to worry about me, right? I know I’m weaker, but I’m sensible and sort of little which means I can hide in some pretty tiny places.” he said with a smile, but Johnny was staring up at him seriously, sitting up and readjusting Mark on his hips as he held his waist.

“I know, you’re clever and you can look after yourself, but I just- I have this overwhelming sense of responsibility and this crazy Alpha urge to keep you out of harm’s way. I don’t want it to seem all imposing, but I care about you.” Johnny said gently, trying not to sound controlling, but Mark was smiling at him and leaning in to press his lips against Johnny’s, one arm slung over his shoulder as the other combed through his hair. They stayed like that for a while, slow kisses and soft hums of pleasure until Mark pulled away.

“Actually, I said I missed you today because of- because of all this.” Mark dropped his gaze, biting his lip as Johnny wrapped his arms tighter around his waist, “I don’t really like answering questions about Heat to  _ anyone _ , but I thought- I thought that if I ever did have to, it’d be to you.” He blushed furiously, looking hesitant to go on and Johnny was sure there was more.

“I’m happy not knowing if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about.” Johnny soothed, blinking at Mark slowly, dazed, like he was under a spell, “Was there something else?” He urged gently, giving Mark the opportunity to keep talking if he wanted to, but not pushing it. He was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts and willing away his blush.

“Well, I was thinking about you and then I had to draw out all those naked characters and I was still thinking about you and…” Mark stuttered, trailing off as he tried to avoid Johnny’s gaze, wriggling in his lap as he tried to get away.

“And…?” Johnny pressed, biting back a smirk as he guessed where this was going.

“And- and I started thinking what  _ you _ would look like naked.” Mark said in a tiny voice, embarrassment tinging his ears red and it almost had Johnny cooing out loud.

“What did you come up with?” Johnny asked, a smile in his voice as he tilted Mark’s chin up, cocking his head to analyse his expression.

“I knew you’d tease me.” Mark grumbled, sighing in defeat as he played into Johnny’s hand, “Well, you’re tall- a lot taller than me- which probably means you have long legs.” He tried to avoid the question that Johnny was clearly dancing around.

“You’ve seen my legs,” Johnny said slowly, raking his hands featherlight up Mark’s bare thighs, thumbs pressing into his hip bones and sliding hesitantly under his shirt, “You’ve also seen my torso,” He ran his hands carefully over Mark’s abdomen, fingers splayed over his ribcage then up to his pectorals, brushing his thumbs against his nipples, “And my chest, but I want to know how accurate you were about one particular place. What came to mind then?” Mark let out a shaky breath as Johnny ran his fingers back over Mark’s chest, nails catching his nipples and sending a full-body shiver through him. Johnny tried not to let his gaze linger too long on the growing bulge in Mark’s boxer briefs.

“I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mark avoided the question, voice thin from the way Johnny was delicately touching him, careful but with intent.

“Should I spell it out for you?” Johnny asked, trailing his hand down, skimming the waistband of Mark’s underwear, hesitating to cup his cock through the fabric in case he didn’t want that, but Mark was instinctively bucking his hips forward into Johnny’s hand, groaning at the slight relief that flooded through him.

“If it means you’ll k-keep touching me, then yes, spell it out for me.” Mark stuttered, dropping his head again, but Johnny was pulling his face back up again, his thumb brushing his cheekbone.

“What was your deduction on my cock, Mark?” Johnny asked, dropping his voice to a sultry hum that made Mark’s cock twitch against Johnny’s palm. He let out a stuttered breath before pulling his shirt off over his head, staring at Johnny carefully,

“Show me and I’ll tell you if I was right.” He said, confidence surprising even himself as he noticed a glint of something animalistic in Johnny’s eyes, “Your move.” He added before Johnny was pushing his hand up against Mark’s cock leaving him gasping only to pull away and thumb the waistband of his own underwear.

“Have at it.” Johnny let the elastic snap against his hips, waiting for Mark’s next move as he leant back on his hands, watching as he shuffled down his thighs to reveal the not-so-subtle tent in his own boxers. Mark visibly swallowed before gripping the waistband and inching it down in anticipation, slowly revealing Johnny’s growing cock. His breath caught in his throat, but he tried to play it off as a sigh, drawn in by the scent Johnny was unconsciously emitting. 

“Y-you’re big.” Mark stated dumbly, biting his lip as he pulled Johnny’s cock above the waistband, holding it in his hands like a damned trophy, “Bigger than me.” Johnny huffed a laugh at that, skating his fingers back up Mark’s bare thigh, settling with a grip at the hem off his underwear.

“Well, I’m an Alpha. We’re meant to be big.” Johnny shrugged, gritting his teeth as Mark slowly began jerking him in his considerably smaller hands, getting used to the weight of an Alpha cock in his palm. It was strange, not like Haechan’s cock, not like any of the drunken Betas he’d jerked off, like nothing he’d felt before. Johnny studied his expression, biting his lip in thought as he tried not to let the arousal completely muddle his senses.

“C-can I- can we-?” Mark began, instead, dropping Johnny’s cock and pulling out his own, shuffling his underwear off completely before looking down at his lap again, “You’re a  _ lot _ bigger than me.” Mark noted, eyes a little wide as he took in the sight of his cock beside Johnny’s. He was pulled out of his incessant pondering when Johnny tipped his head up and crashed their lips together, impatient, more riled up than Mark had originally perceived, but he wasn’t complaining. Mark shuffled forward on his knees, groaning into Johnny’s mouth as he brushed his cock against Johnny’s, slick with a fine layer of pre-come.

“Do you want to try something?” Johnny asked against his lips, pressing their foreheads together when he came up for air, Mark’s fingers curled into his shirt. He nodded in response, eagerly leaning back to look back down at himself and at times like this, he remembered just how much of an Omega he was, but for some reason it didn’t seem to bother him nearly as much as it used to. Johnny didn’t hesitate to take his and Mark’s cock into his fist, holding them against one another tightly and some times were perfect for Omegas to produce slick, other times-

“Ah- Hyung, I-” Mark pulled away from him a moment, his body tensed as he tried to keep in the bout of slick between his ass cheeks, trying not to let it coat Johnny’s thighs that he was so conveniently straddling. This was  _ not _ a perfect time to be producing slick. Johnny looked up at him, concern written all over his face as he hesitantly reached for Mark’s arm, worried that he’d messed up again.

“Minhyung-ah, we don’t have to do anything- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take it too far-” Johnny began, moving to tuck himself back in his underwear, but Mark was back on him with a firm hand on his wrist and a fiery desperation in his eyes.

“I- that’s not what I-” Mark sighed, trying to compose himself as he stared down at the place where he’d gripped Johnny’s wrist, “You didn’t take it too far, I  _ want _ to- I want  _ you _ \- I just- it’s-” Mark bit his lip, feeling his cheeks heat up and Johnny was the one to close the space again, gently cradling Mark’s neck, bringing his face into his shoulder to hold him.

“It’s okay, just breathe.” Johnny soothed, wanting desperately to make things better, but he wasn’t quite sure of what it was he needed to fix, “Slowly, we have time.” He reassured, turning his face to press a light kiss on Mark’s temple. It took a good few minutes for Mark to decide to speak, scared that he’d ruined the moment, but Johnny didn’t seem to mind, he just liked being with Mark.

“I- it’s an Omega thing. I’m not really used to it outside of Heat.” Mark said shortly into Johnny’s neck, it was safe there, no need for him to maintain eye contact, “I get really wet whenever I’m turned on. L-like slick.” He grit his jaw at the confession, closing his eyes and feeling Johnny’s breath hitch, but the silence ensued. Johnny thought through his words carefully, leaning back to try and look Mark in the face. 

“I know about Omegas, Mark. I know you’re an Omega.” Johnny said like it was some revelation that he’d come to terms with quite a while ago and in Mark’s defence it was a surprising outlook to the whole ordeal, “I don’t have to touch you there, we don’t even have to think about it. It doesn’t bother me.” Johnny said carefully, his hand still holding Mark’s neck, patiently waiting for him to calm down.

“It’s embarrassing.” Mark muttered, a pretty blush still high on his cheeks and Johnny couldn’t hold back from kissing him now, lips wet and gently, easing him into it.

“It’s not embarrassing, baby.” Johnny said softly, eyes crossed as he leant his forehead back on Mark’s, brushing his thumbs over Mark’s cheekbones., “It’s okay, it’s part of you. If you’re embarrassed about this, then I should be embarrassed about my knot.” Mark’s scent flared at the mention of a knot, Johnny choking a moment and Mark realised it was probably his fault.

“Sorry, I didn’t- I don’t know how to control it yet.” Mark said a little bashfully, attention slipping back to Johnny’s lap, noticing the small swell, the beginning of a knot. Johnny wondered if it would’ve been better to not mention it at all, but Mark had such a curious look on his face that Johnny didn’t really have it in him to want to take back his words.

“Now, do you want to continue? Or I can get you off and we can call it a night? Whatever you want, baby, I don’t mind.” Johnny said gently, trying to get Mark’s attention again, but he still seemed enraptured by the sight of Johnny’s cock. He gave him a few more moments of staring before trying for his attention again, “Baby? Tell me what you’re thinking?” Mark finally looked up, eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something bad.

“I want to carry on, what you said earlier- I want to try whatever you were going to do.” Mark muddled through, brain going a little mushy from the sight of a knot. He’d blame it on his Omega. Johnny smiled gently, nodding,

“Can you sit in my lap again like before or will that be uncomfortable for you?” Johnny asked, slipping his hands down to Mark’s waist and letting him take his time to think about the whole ordeal. He was slipping into an Omega-like headspace, Johnny could sense it and he really didn’t want to fuck things up.

“O-okay, I’m just- I’m worried I’ll get slick on you.” He stuttered, bracing his hands on Johnny’s shoulders as he helped him straddle his waist, sitting up on his knees for now, horribly aware of how wet he already was. Johnny leant in to kiss him again,

“I don’t mind, I’m sure I’ll be getting come on you if we continue.” He quipped, winking playfully before guiding Mark’s hips down to sit him in his lap, trying not to show the effect of the sensation show too much on his face.  _ God _ , Mark was wet, “Are you uncomfortable?” He asked once he managed to swallow the groan he almost let slip.

“N-no, it’s- I’m fine.” Mark admitted, trying his best to relax against Johnny’s thighs, hands slipping down to rest on his pectorals.

“Good baby.” Johnny praised, smiling to himself as Mark let out a little whine, hiding his face back into Johnny’s neck, “Do you have lube?” He added, curling a hand into Mark’s hair, holding him close as he recovered. Mark nodded, pointing blindly at the bottom drawer, scenting Johnny as he reached for the lube, trying not to stare too hard at the array of dildos and toys filled the drawer. He tried not to think about how Mark dealt with himself in Heat, tried not to remind himself of how Mark had smelt that night he’d dressed Johnny’s wounds. He closed the drawer, squirting a little bit of lube on his palm before helping Mark sit back.

“Can you scent me?” Mark asked, sitting back as he looked at Johnny doe-eyed. Johnny nodded, kissing his lips and leaning back to look down at their cocks again, carefully bringing them together,

“Hang on,” Johnny reasoned, sliding his palm over the both of their cocks and gathering them both into his hand, “I’ll start slow, okay?” He added, jerking them together once before pausing to study Mark’s face. He looked positively blissful atop Johnny’s lap with his hands on his chest, head turned to the side in submission as he offered up his neck. Johnny breathed out a curse at the view, tucking his nose into Mark’s neck and scenting him thoroughly as he began jerking them together at a steady pace. Mark groaned softly, skating a hand up towards Johnny’s neck as he got impatient,

“Faster,” He breathed, pulling Johnny from his neck and guiding him into a wet, open-mouthed kiss that had Mark releasing another bout of slick, wetting Johnny’s thighs, “ _ A-ah- _ ” Mark felt his stomach tense uncomfortably as he staved off his orgasm, thighs tightening against Johnny’s.

“ _ Shit _ ,” Johnny cursed, staring down their size difference again and sure it felt good, but it looked even better. Mark whined as he felt the base of Johnny’s cock inflate, his knot turning an angry shade of red and it only had Mark’s breath coming shorter at the thought of that inside him, plugging him full, “ _ Minhyungie _ , look at me.” Johnny spoke up after a moment, orgasms already nearing and it was strange to think that this was the fastest he’d come outside of Rut. Mark looked up, eyes half-lidded and lips parted in a silent moan, biting down on his bottom lip every so often. He tried his best to move his hips along with Johnny’s jerking, but there was a strong hand on his hip, holding him still and Mark felt so little in Johnny’s lap that it was almost useless to even want to help.

“ _ Mh- _ I- I’m-” Mark cut off with a choked off whine that didn’t sound like his own voice as he fell forward, burying his face back into Johnny’s neck as he pushed him to the edge of insanity, milking him thoroughly, coming himself not a moment later.

“ _ Ahh, fuck _ , baby-” Johnny groaned, moving his hand from Mark’s waist to wrap around his shoulder, hold him close as his hand came to a slow stop, come and lube coating his hand and thighs and lower abdomen. Mark breathed heavily against his neck, still recovering from being overstimulated when Johnny had come, their cocks pressed close enough together that they could feel every pulse, every twitch that came with one another’s orgasm.

“C-can I see it?” Mark mumbled into Johnny’s neck after a few minutes of recovering, still flushed from exertion as he pulled away. Johnny frowned a moment before he understood, following Mark’s gaze down to their lap, a total mess of fluids, but that’s not what Mark was looking for. He pried Johnny’s hand away from where he still held the both of them together, shuffling back down Johnny’s thighs, unconsciously spreading slick, but he didn’t seem to care anymore and Johnny counted that as a success in itself.

“You can touch, I don’t mind.” Johnny said softly, giving him a little smile as his fingers hesitated over the swell of his knot. It wasn’t anything pretty, per-se, but Mark had always wanted one- always  _ thought _ he’d have one himself- and this was the closest he was going to get to it. He ran his index finger, featherlight, over it, swallowing down an unexpected build-up of saliva as he gawked openly. Johnny almost wanted to laugh.

“What does it feel like?” Mark looked up at him, fingers slowly grazing the rest of the swell before he turned his attention back to the mess they’d made.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels a lot more intense during Rut. Now, it just feels sort of heavy.” He said with a smirk, stroking his clean hand through Mark’s hair as he continued his inspection, “During Rut it feels like- just like I haven’t cum at all. Like nothing will make that feeling go away, but I heard it’s like that in Heats as well.” Johnny continued, letting Mark run his thumb around the knot, finally looking back up at him with a nod. He removed his hand, a little bit of come on his fingers that he desperately wanted to lick onto his tongue,

“Yeah, Heats can get like that. Like you’re desperate even though you’ve just come. Jungwoo had to get me a knotting dildo.” He cut off in surprise at his own words, smacking his hand over his mouth and incidentally smearing come on his cheek. Well, that was close enough to his mouth, he guessed. Johnny looked at him, amused, gently tugging his hand away from his mouth to reveal his flushed cheeks and the smear of come at the edge of his mouth.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed about these things, not with me, at least.” Johnny thought back to earlier in the day, “Maybe you should be embarrassed to talk about it with your media partner, but not me.” He repressed a growl at the thought of Mark discussing his Heats with a stranger- a perverted, Beta stranger. He mentally kicked himself, reminded that he didn’t  _ own _ Mark, that Mark wasn’t  _ his _ .

“I’m still- I haven’t talked a lot about Heat things with anyone except the other Omegas and they all experience it anyway.” Mark sighed, mind wandering back to the come at the corner of his mouth, he could just stick his tongue out a bit and-

“What are you thinking?”  _ Busted _ , Mark thought to himself, shutting his mouth again, but Johnny had a dark look in his eyes, staring right at the smear of come at his lips and Mark was trying to convey something with his eyes, a plea of sorts.

“N-nothing, I’m not thinking about anything.” He shot back, swallowing dryly and trying not to get aroused again from the look in Johnny’s eyes. He definitely had it in him to go again and he didn’t doubt that Johnny did too, but they had classes in the morning and it was already past midnight. Johnny was the one to give in.

“You wanted to taste it, didn’t you?” He whispered the words under his breath, like it was a secret and Mark didn’t realise how easy he was to read until that moment, lips parting as Johnny swiped his thumb over Mark’s cheek, pressing the salty substance between his lips. Mark gasped a moment, holding Johnny’s gaze as he swiped a little more of his come off his abdomen, pushing it past Mark’s lips again and letting him savour the taste before swallowing obediently.

“I know I’m not supposed to, but I always sort of liked the taste of come.” He admitted, looking away once Johnny pulled his fingers from his mouth. Johnny tried not to choke, instead leaning in to kiss him gently, tasting the dull flavour against his lips and licking into his mouth.

“Don’t. We have class in the morning.” Johnny breathed, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Mark’s neck then lifting him into his arms and carrying him to the bathroom, “Come on, let’s clean you up.”

Mark looked up in surprise as Hyosun pulled out the seat beside him in class the following morning, extending her hand with a gentle smile. 

“I’m Hyosun. Doyoung told me that some  _ things _ had been going on.” She said, flashing a mildly terrifying look towards Mark’s media partner who quickly looked away from them both and back to his laptop.

“O-oh, hello,” He said awkwardly, a little intimidated by her presence and hoping she wouldn’t smell it on him, “It’s okay, you can go back to your friends, I think I’ll be alright.” He tried to reassure her as he noticed the group that Hyosun usually sat with giving her a strange look across the classroom.

“Mark, when Jungwoo asks Doyoung for something, Doyoung would sooner die before not doing what he wants of him. Doyoung takes care of Sana, I’ll take care of you.” She said, finality in her voice, suddenly looking up and baring her teeth at Mark’s media partner again, “What the fuck does he think he’s playing at!” She said in frustration, scent flaring dangerously. Mark placed a hand on her forearm to stop her from tearing her books to shreds,

“Hey, it’s okay. He hasn’t done anything, just- it’s just about how he speaks to me. It’s fine.” Mark knew he wasn’t making sense, but he felt like he had to reason it a little, trying his best to put his partner in a good light.

“What? What does he speak to you like?” She asked, her voice a lot calmer when talking to him, opposed to when she was talking about the boy across the room who wouldn’t quit staring.

“You know,” Mark dropped his voice, leaning in with an embarrassed tint of red on his cheeks, “He keeps asking me questions about- about Heats and stuff. I just don’t really want to talk about it.” Mark tried to play it down, avoiding telling Hyosun that the boy had asked what it’d feel like for Mark if a Beta fucked him during Heats, just like how he’d avoided telling everyone else at the Sorority yesterday. Johnny would’ve absolutely gone ballistic if he’d heard that.

“He’s asking you about Heats?” Hyosun said, a sense of warning in her voice, an uneasy edge to it, “Mark, tell me the truth.” She continued. Well, no one had asked that last night, did she not believe him?

“That-that is the truth, though.” Mark said innocently and yes, it was the truth, just not all of it. He bit his lip and hoped Hyosun was as bad at reading scents as he was.

“All of it? Look, Mark, I don’t want you to feel intimidated by me, but I want to protect you. Doyoung wants to protect you. Your  _ boyfriend _ wants to protect you.” She stressed, sighing a moment before she continued, “Last year there was this guy that used to come into the coffee store everyday and harass Sana. She kept it from me for two months before I went to meet her after her shift one time and found her crying in Doyoung’s arms. Apparently, she’d sworn him to secrecy because she knew that if I had known I would’ve put that bastard in the bottom of a very deep lake and probably not have gotten away with it without her help. What I’m saying is that Johnny is probably worried sick right now and I know how that feels, but knowing that Doyoung was there with Sana made me and her feel so much better. I want to do the same for you and Johnny.” She finished just as their professor walked in, telling them all to begin their assignments with their media partners. Hyosun looked up as her partner joined her, sitting opposite on their table with a bright smile. They were working on some sort of video game that looked much too cute, given the Alpha’s intimidating demeanor, but Mark knew now better than ever that he shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. His partner joined him across the table, Hyosun giving him an encouraging smile before turning to her laptop and pulling up a new character on her screen.

“Mark? Should we go and sit over there? There’s more space and I want to go through the designs with a bit of peace and quiet.” The Beta boy suggested, pointing towards a secluded spot across the classroom, but Hyosun was stepping in before Mark could speak.

“No, he’s fine here.” She said firmly, a lilt to her voice that made her words seem a little less biting. Mark nodded in agreement,

“I’m fine here.” He repeated, pulling his sketches out and handing them over, “Here are the profile sketch-ups.” He slid the papers across the table, opening his laptop to the menu of the VR game they were creating. The visual design artist had sent over the final piece for her menu characters and all Mark had to do was add the final touches to his two characters and put the first slide of the menu together.

“These are great, but is there any chance you could make the anatomy a little more- how should I say it- well, I guess I want it to look a little more like an Omega. The proportions aren’t exactly right.” Mark looked up in surprise as his partner spoke, tracing his finger over the characters nether regions and looking at Mark expectantly.

“And how would you know what an Omega looks like?” To everyone’s surprise, it was Hyosun’s partner that spoke up, a judgemental little frown between her eyes as she stared him down.

“I’m not saying I have, I’m just talking about how  _ I _ want it to look. The characters in the game are supposed to have specific elements to them, it’s not  _ my _ fault that they’re like Omegas! Everyone knows that Omegas have small cocks anyway, if it’s common knowledge then why is it a problem for me to want it drawn like that? He’s an Omega, he should know that!” He said defensively, his deflection of the entire situation only digging himself a deeper hole and Hyosun smelt furious to Mark. She stood from her seat, rounding the table and grabbing the boy by his collar,

“Outside. Now.” She said firmly, dragging the boy out the classroom to God knows where. Her partner watched them go before turning towards Mark with a worried expression. She moved to sit in Hyosun’s seat beside Mark,

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intervene.” She said guiltily, but Mark was looking up at her, shaking his head.

“No-no, it wasn’t your fault. He’s been doing this for a while now, I don’t like it. Thanks for sticking up for me.” He explained, shuffling the sketches into a pile, “I was so excited about this project at the beginning of term, I thought I’d get a website or a video game, like yours. Too bad I got paired with him and his stupid sex game.” Mark said dejectedly, tossing the papers back onto the table and gritting his jaw in frustration. She watched him carefully, gathering the papers back into a pile and flicking through them with a low whistle,

“Your art’s really good, it’s just too bad that it’s being used for  _ this _ .” She waved one of his naked ‘Omega’ boy drawings in his face, “What a creep.” She scoffed, placing the files aside before bringing her laptop closer, “If they let you switch partners you could join us. I think your art style would fit nicely and I like the way you draw characters- I mean, in clothes, obviously.” She clicked through some files, catching Mark’s attention from merely the colour palette they’d chosen. It was a nice aesthetic, pleasing to the eye and not too over the top with cuteness, just the right amount to be aimed at all age groups without it being gender-specific.

“I wish I could work with you two, but I think it’s too far into the semester to change now. We’ve worked on a fair bit and-” Mark cut off as he looked towards the classroom door, mouth dropping open in a gasp. Hyosun was standing there with Mark’s media partner’s collar still in hand, although now he was sporting a busted lip, an array of nicely colouring bruises, a ripped shirt and his hair mussed awfully. 

“Professor, I’d like to have a word with you please.” Hyosun said, marching up to their professor who was also gawking at the sight, but there was something lingering in Hyosun’s eyes that told him not to argue, “I’ll start by saying that, yes, this was my doing and, no, I am not sorry.” She said firmly, the class falling silent as they all turned to look at her.

“Okay...” The professor said slowly, not really knowing how to respond, but Hyosun was humming, continuing easily with her story.

“Now, do you want to tell him or should I?” Hyosun asked, tugging on the boy’s collar as she addressed him. He muttered something under his breath and Hyosun took it as an opportunity to explain herself, “Professor, I’m not sure where you stand with Alpha and Omega rights, but is it or is it not acceptable to ask an Omega about matters during Heat?” Mark’s eyes flashed to the desk as a blush crept up his cheeks, the professor looking to the boy with a horrified look on his face, “Is it or is it not acceptable to ask an Omega what it would  _ feel _ like for a Beta to have sex with them during Heat?” A few gasps went around the room, negative grunts of disapproval filling Mark’s ears. The girl beside him placed a hand over his arm as his fingers began shaking on the desk, “Is it or is it not acceptable to ask an Omega exactly how much  _ slick _ they can produce during one day of Heat-?”

“Get out of my classroom.” The professor cut in, his voice sharp and hard around the edges, the kind of anger that has cartoon characters raging, smoke fluming from their ears. Hyosun raised an eyebrow, waiting for some sort of clarification that it wasn’t her he was ordering out of his classroom. Mark could feel tears burning his eyes.

“Minhyung-ah,” Mark looked up as a voice broke the silence, a familiar scent caught his attention and-

“H-Hyung.” Mark pushed back from his seat, ignorant to the rest of his classmates as he ran towards Johnny, falling into his arms with a broken sob.

“Speak to him again and I’ll see to it myself that you’re a dead man.” Johnny said through gritted teeth, his voice verging on Alpha territory and Hyosun shared a nod of acknowledgement before Mark was whisked out of the room and down a corridor to an empty classroom. 

“Y-Youngho.” Mark choked out, sobs wracking through his chest as Johnny lifted him to sit atop an empty desk.

“I know, baby, I know.” Johnny soothed, holding him tightly against his chest and letting him cry, “I’m here, it’s alright.” He whispered, running his hands up and down Mark’s back to soothe him, then changing tactics and scenting him from where his nose was nuzzled into the crown of his head. 

“I-I’m sorry, I d-don’t even know why I’m crying- j-just-” He choked back another wave of emotion, everything hitting him at once as he sobbed into Johnny’s chest, positively ruining his dress-shirt, but Johnny didn’t seem to care. He’d let Mark ruin every single one of his dress-shirts just to have the satisfaction of holding him in his arms.

“I know, it’s okay. Just let it all out, I’m here, we’re alone.” Johnny added, pressing kiss after kiss against his hair, wanting to practically inhale Mark, “Hyosun took care of you so well, but I’m here now. Hyung’s here.” Mark wanted to cry harder at that, not quite being able to place why, but it felt good to know that Johnny wouldn’t mind either way. They stayed like that for a while until Mark’s tears ran dry and Johnny’s legs became numb, then they stayed just a little more, breathing each other in as Johnny kissed away his tears.

“I’m sorry, you have classes you need to get to.” Mark finally spoke up, breaking the silence as he looked up at the clock behind Johnny. 

“No, I’m not going to class this afternoon.” Johnny said gently, pausing to cradle Mark’s face in his hands, thinking for a moment, “Here’s what we’re going to do, I’m going to go back to your class and get your things then we’re going to go home, order your favourite takeout and watch movies all afternoon, okay?” He smiled small, Mark nodding his agreement with a grateful little sparkle in his eyes. Johnny kissed his lips once more, pulling away and disappearing down the corridor, coming back with Mark’s bag slung over his shoulder and his portfolio file shoved under his arm. Mark felt his heart swell as Johnny took his hand in his.

Mark was half asleep in Johnny’s lap, curled up under his tattered scent blanket that reeked of Johnny, and a little of Haechan, when a knock came at the living room door. They shared a look before Jungwoo and Doyoung appeared, still in his work clothes,

“Are you up for a visitor that comes bearing cupcakes?” Doyoung asked gently, voice pitched low to show Mark that he wasn’t dangerous. Mark knew he wasn’t anyway, but after outbursts like today, Omegas had a little trouble trusting those around them. Johnny looked at Mark carefully, holding his hand under the blanket as if to tell him that it was alright to say no.

“I’m okay, you can come in.” Mark said softly, voice croaky from disuse. He blinked as two other figures appeared behind him, Hyosun and another girl wearing a similar uniform to Doyoung’s, Sana.

“Hey, Minhyungie, how are you feeling?” Hyosun came in slowly, Sana following after her with a soft smile on her face, “Sana made you some cupcakes at the coffee house.” Sana offered them out to him with extended arms, biting her lip bashfully. 

“I didn’t know what flavour you liked so I made them all different.” She added, looking at Mark hopefully, eyes pleading for his approval and it made him wonder if that was the same expression he held whenever he wanted to please someone. He looked down at the box, gasping in surprise as he noticed the different coloured icing, chocolate and vanilla and coffee and mint- more than 10 little cupcakes topped with a mint leaf or a slice of strawberry.

“Y-you made this for me?” He asked in shock. No one had ever done something like this for him, let alone someone he’d never met before. She nodded eagerly,

“Do you like them?” She asked, hesitant to know the answer and Mark couldn’t really believe he had to spell it out for her.

“I  _ love _ them, thank you so much.” He replied, still in awe as he stared back down at the cupcakes in his lap.

“And that’s not all,” Hyosun began, pulling a file out of her bag and handing it to him with a smile resembling the cheshire cat’s, “You don’t have to do that stupid sex game anymore, he’s been kicked out the class and the media studies professor is thinking about kicking him off his course as well. Everyone wants you in their group, the professor said you can choose from the list or start your own project if you want.” She said with a bright smile, her scent battling with Mark’s increasingly excited scent. 

“Really?” He asked in disbelief, “I can choose anyone from the list?” He asked, scanning his eyes down the list;  _ Hyunbin & Seungcheol- Scavenger [VR adventure video game], Dasol & Moonbin- Player Two [action/strategy video game], Gayeon & Hyosun- Paper Planes [puzzle-platform video game] _ ...

“My partner, Gayeon, said how much she’d like it if you joined our group and after seeing your usual work, I think you’d be a great fit, but it’s up to you. Completely up to you, but just know that you’re very welcome to join us.” Hyosun added, pointing out her name on the sheet, smiling easily and it wasn’t exactly a hard decision to make.

“I’d like to join your group, if that’s okay? I’ll work extra hard to catch up, I promise.” He tried to reason, but there wasn’t any reasoning that needed to be done. Hyosun nodded eagerly,

“Yes! Of course it’s okay and I think that it’s best if you take a day off tomorrow, Gayeon will agree, there’s no need to try and catch up all at once.” She explained, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a flash drive, “Actually, I was hoping you’d say yes. I prepared all our files for you, but you have to promise that you won’t work on any of it tomorrow, okay?” She said, handing him the flash drive and cocking her head at the two of them wrapped up on the sofa.

“Thank you, Hyosun, I really appreciate it.” Johnny spoke up, looking at Hyosun sincerely, an unspoken agreement between them that showed how he’d do the same if it was Sana. She nodded in response, a serious little jerk of her head,

“Don’t think about going after him, I’ve done a fair bit of damage already.” She replied firmly, Sana swallowing dryly as she heard Hyosun speak in that tone. Johnny nodded reluctantly,

“I won’t. Thank you, I really mean it.” He repeated, looking between them fondly as they said their goodbyes and left Jungwoo and Doyoung with Johnny and Mark.

“Mark, how are you feeling?” Jungwoo asked, sitting on the edge of the coffee table opposite him as he scanned the look on Mark’s face. He still looked pretty shaken by the whole thing,

“Better,” He said shortly, looking at the cupcakes, the flash drive and the list of names in his lap, “Just tired now, but that’s probably from crying.” He said wearily, placing the things aside to shuffle back down in Johnny’s lap, sighing as Johnny wound his fingers into his hair, soothing his scalp with gentle fingers.

“Rest for as long as you need. We’re going back to the Fraternity tonight, so I’ll let Jaehyun know that you won’t be in class tomorrow, Johnny.” Doyoung said smoothly, grabbing Jungwoo by the waist as they stood to leave.

“What? No, Johnny’s going to class tomorrow, I can stay by myself.” Mark suddenly piped up, head still in Johnny’s lap as he looked up at them dazedly.

“No, I’m staying with you.” Johnny said decisively, “Thank you, Doyoung-”

“But I’m-” Mark began, but Jungwoo was interrupting now.

“Mark, I can promise you that by tomorrow, you won’t want him to leave your side. I’ve been in a similar situation to you before and, trust me, it’s better to do it with an Alpha rather than without.” Jungwoo explained, recalling the time he’d also sent Doyoung off to class, telling him he was fine on his own, only to call Doyoung, crying on the bathroom floor as he begged him to come home. Doyoung looked at him as if recalling the memory and the hand on Jungwoo’s hip tightened a little, holding him possessively.

“Okay.” Mark gave in, closing his eyes again as he pressed his face into the scent blanket, inhaling Johnny’s musky scent as he heard the others leave quietly, the living room going back to just him and Johnny. He couldn’t muster the strength to argue.

“Do you want anything?” Johnny asked gently, fingers back in his hair, massaging his scalp as he held Mark close.

“Just you.” Mark mumbled in response and Johnny thought he could do that. Yes, he could definitely do that.

The following day Mark spent in bed, curled into Johnny’s side as he wordlessly scented him. Jungwoo was right, he could barely let Johnny leave his side to use the bathroom, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to manage Johnny going to class. Around midday, Ten and Taeyong came to visit him with a brand-new scent blanket tied up in thick ribbon and soft enough for Mark’s fingers to disappear into the fabric when he touched it. It was a great gift, seeing as his current scent blanket was a tattered piece of fabric that his mum had mailed him when he’d first presented as an Omega- shrunken and scratchy and worn down to threads, but it’d held Johnny’s scent like it was meant to do and Mark could survive with it when Johnny was away from his side. It was nice to have a  _ real _ scent blanket, though, one that held Johnny’s scent for days and one that was big enough to drown his entire body in, successfully be engulfed in his scent.

By the evening, Mark found himself capable of venturing outside his bed, knowing how badly he needed to shower and at least start to look at the project Hyosun had given him. Johnny lingered in the doorway of the bathroom for a moment, as apprehensive to let Mark go as Mark was to leave. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he turned on the hot shower water, trying his best to drag out the moments with Johnny until he had to shut the door and shower.

“Can’t you- can’t we just shower together? I don’t like it, it doesn’t feel right.” Mark finally managed to articulate the uneasy feeling in his stomach and his Omega was practically begging Mark to put on his puppy-eyes for Johnny, get on his knees and beg if it meant that Johnny wouldn’t leave his line of vision. Johnny nodded slowly, stepping into the bathroom and kissing Mark’s forehead. It wasn’t a big deal, just a shower, just like after soccer practice in highschool, not a big deal- except that it was a big deal because it was Johnny who was helping him out of his t-shirt now, Johnny who was gently kissing his neck and undressing them both slowly. Johnny who was easing him back into the shower with his hands on Mark’s hips and his tongue in his mouth. They’d spent most of the day like that, breathing each other’s scent and kissing languidly until Mark felt too tired to keep up and Johnny guided his head to the pillow, wrapping him up in his arms, but now- with no barrier of clothes- it was different.

“Hey, slow down, let’s clean you up.” Johnny said gently, pulling away from Mark’s lips as he became a little frantic, trying to get as much of Johnny’s skin on his as possible, “I know, baby, I know you’re still a little shaken up, but I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, I’m here with you.” Johnny reassured, kissing his forehead again and leaning over for the body wash, but Mark was stopping him, holding his wrist as he looked up at him from under the stream of water, eyes innocent and wide, desperate for Johnny’s attention. So Johnny gave it.

“Remind me. I just- I need you to do something to remind me that- that I’m yours, that you’re mine. Remind me, Youngho?” Mark said under his breath, fingers curling lightly around Johnny’s biceps, the pleading gaze turning a little more intent than before. Johnny leant back, nodding again as he gave in to every one of Mark’s requests, knowing exactly what Mark was implying. He was a weak man, especially for Mark.

“Okay, alright,” Johnny said slowly, leaning back in to kiss Mark firmly, guiding him up against the glass partition, watching Mark flinch at the temperature as he pulled away to gauge his expression. Mark stared up at him, flushed and pretty, desperation creeping steadily onto his face and Johnny knew that he was already getting aroused by this, much too fast for Johnny to begin to change course now, “I’m going to suck you off, how does that sound to you?” He whispered against Mark’s neck, hands trailing up and down his body, tracing every curve of his lean figure and nipping Mark’s throat teasingly. Mark groaned softly, the sound delicate enough to almost be drowned out by the water, but Johnny was listening for it, his whole being only wanting to tend to Mark’s needs, only aware of his Omega.  _ His _ Omega. He thought that it had a nice ring to it.

“Y-yes, yes,  _ please _ .” Mark whined, tipping his head back as Johnny slid his thigh against his crotch, gently urging him to rut against it, offering a sliver of contact where Mark wanted him most.

“I know you’re slipping, but you have to tell me if you want to stop, understand?” Johnny added, his voice still dropped to that sultry tone that gave Mark bedroom-eyes and it was becoming something of a ploy to get what he wanted.

“I understand, Hyung.” Mark confirmed, swallowing roughly, obediently tipping his head back to kiss Johnny again before the Alpha descended on him, hands firmly set on his hips. Johnny kissed over his torso, sucking his nipples in turn and nuzzling his skin, rubbing his nose over his abdomen until he came to Mark’s cock. He was so pretty, Johnny couldn’t get enough- he doubted he ever would be able to get enough of Mark. He inhaled his musk, mouthing along the line of his cock, wet lips wrapping around the head before staring up at Mark’s expression. He looked ethereal, head tipped back with his hair damp and sticking to the glass partition, falling messily over his forehead as he tried his best to open his eyes and look down at Johnny, but he was losing his composure all too quickly and Johnny could  _ smell _ him. Being this close to Mark’s hole was one thing, but it was a completely other thing when Johnny could feel the slick dripping down his thighs and over his fingers as he held Mark up. It was difficult to not voice his desperation of wanting to be inside Mark, but he managed to keep it to himself, preoccupied with his plush thighs beneath his fingers. Johnny kept at it, sucking Mark’s cock into his mouth and drawing back slowly, being as attentive as his muddled Alpha brain would let him and Mark was already in ruins. 

“You’re shaking, are you sure this is-” Johnny began, leaning back on his heels to look up at Mark with a concerned gaze. Mark moaned softly, interrupting him,

“P- _ please _ , Johnny! I- I just want you to make me  _ come _ !” Mark begged, fingers gripping Johnny’s hair a little viciously between his fingers, but Johnny couldn’t really blame him when he’d unintentionally edged Mark to the edge of insanity. Johnny pressed his tongue into Mark’s slit, taking him back into his mouth again and sucking around him like he needed this as much as Mark. He could feel the way Mark’s cock was pulsing in his mouth, his fingers curling tighter in Johnny’s hair as he gasped against the partition, writhing his hips under Johnny’s firm hands and all too quickly he was coming undone, Johnny’s name on his lips. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was reminded of his Heat when Jungwoo had said that everything with an Alpha felt so much better and right now he knew that he was right. Heat with Jungwoo and Haechan and Kun had been good, but somehow being out of Heat with an Alpha was even better. Johnny swallowed him down obediently, gently pressing his thumbs into Mark’s hips as to stop him from sliding down the glass and slumping in a heap on the floor. He wouldn’t put it past himself at this moment in time.

“Shhh, hey, it’s okay.” Johnny looked up at him once he’d finished, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and Mark was confused as to why he was soothing him until he realised he was crying, “You’re alright, Mark, I’m right here.” He went on, standing up to his full height and bringing Mark into his arms, cradling his head against his chest and trying to avoid pressing his thigh against Mark’s sensitive cock. The most embarrassing part of the whole ordeal was that Mark wasn’t even quite sure why he was crying. He’d just had one of the most mind-blowing orgasms- in and out of Heat- and then he’d just…  _ broken _ . 

“I-I’m sorry- I-” Mark choked, pressing his forehead against Johnny’s chest and trying to stifle his sobs with his hands. Johnny hushed him softly, running his hands up and down his back, letting him cry,

“I know, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Johnny said, pressing kisses to his damp hair, “Just breathe, I’m right here.” He said whilst scenting him, feeling Mark relax almost instantly in his arms. He knew that Mark wanted to apologise, explain, but he also knew that he needed time to calm down before even thinking about talking. Doyoung had texted Johnny about this earlier, a warning that Mark was probably going to want something intimate and then break down afterwards. Apparently it was a common reaction for whenever Omegas became overwhelmed or anxious, Johnny was glad Doyoung had warned him otherwise he’d probably be losing his shit right about now. They stayed like that under the stream of water- with Mark’s face pressed into Johnny’s chest- for a while,the shower clouding with heat before Mark’s sobs faded.

“I- I don’t know what happened.” Mark finally admitted, his words muffled against Johnny’s chest, “I swear I wasn’t upset about the blowjob, that was- that was really fucking good.” He pulled back, looking up at Johnny briefly before darting his gaze away, pink cheeks turning a shade darker. Johnny smiled gently, 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain yourself.” Johnny said softly, his voice a soothing hum, melodic to Mark’s ears. He took a deep breath of Johnny’s scent in, tracing his fingers lightly up Johnny’s arms, coming to rest on his shoulders.

“I really am sorry, though.” Mark added, a crestfallen look about him that hurt Johnny’s heart to see on his features, “I didn’t want our first time to go like this and I’m sure you didn’t either.” It wasn’t exactly their first time, but Johnny understood. It was the first time Johnny had sucked him off, the first time he’d had Mark’s dick in his mouth, his come in his throat. Johnny understood why Mark was upset.

“Mark, we’re going to have hundreds of other times, why don’t we look forward to them instead of dwelling on this one?” Johnny knew there was no way to go about changing Mark’s mind so he tried to settle on guiding his attention to the future. Mark blinked up at him for a moment, swallowing in thought,

“You’re right,” He concluded softly, looking down with a barely-there smile on his lips, but Johnny caught it before he looked back up at him, “For the record, that was the best blow-job I’ve ever had.” He added, biting his lip hesitantly. Johnny smiled and pulled him back into his chest.

Sicheng pouted at the two of them, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“But I want to help too!” He knew he sounded like a child, repeating himself until he got his way, but he’d run out of other tactics and Taeil kept looking at him with those eyes that made him want to give in. Yuta sat beside him on the edge of the bed, his hand resting gently over Sicheng’s thigh in order of soothing him, but Taeil could see that it wasn’t really working. 

“I know you want to help, but not this time, Sicheng. It’s too dangerous, Taeil knows how I get in Rut, it wouldn’t be safe.” Yuta tried to reach for his jaw, but Sicheng turned away petulantly, “Come on, Chengie, I don’t want to put you in danger. Besides, we’ll have all the time to do things outside of Rut and if you want us for Heat we can help, but Ruts are just too risky.” He went on. Taeil watched Sicheng carefully, taking his expression and his scent into account before bending down in front of him to meet his eyes. 

“Sicheng?” He called softly, taking his hands in his own and scenting him from where he sat, “Please say something.” He was upset, Taeil could tell, a hint of rejection sticking to his features and Sicheng seemed to be having trouble masking it now. 

“It’s fine, I’m fine.” He said with finality, pulling away and standing quickly, “I have to study.” He turned away, concealing his expression as he quickly hurried down the corridor and out of the Fraternity. Yuta was on the verge of going after him, but Taeil had him by the wrist,

“Give him some time, I’ll talk to him.” Taeil explained, leaning in to press a short kiss to Yuta’s lips, “You need to rest before it hits, go and take a nap and I’ll sort things out with Sicheng. It’s only normal for him to feel this way.” Yuta swallowed, eyes flicking from the door back to Taeil’s face, nodding slowly as he linked their fingers by his side. 

“Okay, j-just make sure he knows that this isn’t what I want either. I want to spend Rut with you both, but I don’t trust myself, it’s not about him, Taeil, you know it isn’t.” Yuta went on, relaxing into Taeil’s arms as he hugged him. Taeil knew exactly what it was about, he didn’t need to explain himself, but he was a listener and if Yuta wanted to vent then he’d let him do so for as long as he needed. 

Taeil went to the sorority that evening after making sure Yuta wasn’t eating alone. He knocked at Sicheng’s bedroom door, chewing on his lip as he tried his best to control his scent. The truth was, Taeil and Yuta really did miss Sicheng when he was gone, even if it was just for a few hours. 

“Taeil?” Sicheng stood in the doorway looking tired and drawn, worse than he had that afternoon when they’d spoken. It tugged at Taeil’s heartstrings to see him like this.

“I bought you dinner, Yuta’s eating with the others.” Taeil reassured, holding up the bag of tteokbokki, “Can we talk?” Sicheng nodded slowly, letting him into his room. 

“Is he upset with me?” Sicheng mumbled as they settled on the bedroom floor by the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the gardens on the east side. Taeil looked up at him in surprise, handing him a pair of chopsticks and opening his can of cola for him. 

“Why would he be upset with you? You’re the one who deserves to be upset.” Taeil said lightly, smiling gently and gesturing for Sicheng to dig in, “The only thing that he’s upset about is that you can’t spend Rut with us.” Taeil swallowed a mouthful of food, looking at Sicheng earnestly. 

“Is he really  _ that _ bad in Rut?” Sicheng asked dejectedly, chewing thoughtfully on a deep fried shrimp. Taeil sighed, looking away for a moment before placing the second shrimp on his plate rather than eating it himself. 

“Eat up, Chengie.” He said quietly, placing his chopsticks aside and looking out over the gardens, “When we first started helping one another, I asked him the same thing,” he paused, choosing his next words carefully, “Usually Alphas tend to have pretty uncontrollable Ruts the first few years after presentation, but we get used to it after a few years, learn how to control it, but Yuta’s never really stopped being uncontrollable. The first few times with me he really tried to go slow, tried not to slip so much, but since meeting other Omegas, he’s been pretty rough with me.” Taeil tried not to wince at his own words, but Sicheng had stopped eating and was staring at Taeil with an invasive look in his eyes. 

“Did he hurt you?” Sicheng asked gently, it wasn’t judgemental, just curious and Taeil was grateful for that much. He sighed, 

“Well, let’s just say that I prepare myself before his Ruts nowadays, it sometimes slips his mind.” Taeil was trying his best not to scare Sicheng off but he also needed to be honest with him, “He almost lost it when he realised what he’d done after that Rut, wouldn’t let me leave my bed for almost a week, I knew he didn’t mean to do it, I don’t blame him.” Sicheng didn’t really blame him either, Heats made his head cloudy, he didn’t doubt it’d be any different for Alphas. Taeil was watching him carefully, eyes sharp and inquisitive,

“I choose to help him though, I choose to go back because I- I love him and we love you.” He knew he’d said it too early,  _ what kind of person says that after a few months? _ But it wasn’t a lie, he’d loved Yuta for a long time and they both loved Sicheng too. They’d spoken about it one evening after Sicheng had gone home and it was clear to the both of them that it was love that they felt towards Sicheng, but they hadn’t planned to confess it so soon. Taeil bit his tongue, “You don’t have to say it back, this is all pretty new and I don’t expect you to-”

“I think I love you too, I-I mean I haven’t felt like this before, so I think it’s love, it  _ feels _ like love.” Sicheng admitted, surprised with himself at how easy it was to say those words. Taeil gaped at him, chuckling softly as he processed the words.

“Yuta’s going to be so mad that he missed out on this moment.” He smiled, wiping Sicheng’s mouth as he dribbled tteokbokki sauce.

“Too bad, I’m still bitter about not being able to share Rut with you both.” Sicheng sassed, licking his lips as he eyed Taeil’s response. Taeil took Sicheng’s bowl of food and placed it aside, shuffling closer,

“Look, I’ll do anything to make it up to you-” Taeil began, but Sicheng was cutting in, ready to say that he could simply give in and let them all share Yuta’s Rut together, but Taeil had already caught on, “ _ Except _ sharing Rut with him. It’s dangerous and I might just kill him if he hurts you.” He grit his teeth, staring at the floor to try and control himself at even the thought of his Sichengie getting hurt. Sicheng took his hands and held them in his lap, running his thumbs along Taeil’s knuckles. 

“Then let me spend Rut with you.” Sicheng said quietly, looking at Taeil hopefully, eyes wide and innocent. Taeil thought about it. Yuta wouldn’t be sold on the idea, but they were sure to be able to bring him round and Taeil’s Ruts really weren’t as bad as most Alphas- he just got insatiable nowadays, it wouldn’t hurt to have another person ease some of the desperation. Besides, his refractory period was near to none and Yuta usually had a hard time keeping up anyway. It wasn’t a  _ terrible  _ idea. Taeil chewed on his lip,

“We’ll have to ask Yuta, too, but I- I think we can do that.” Taeil said gently, bringing Sicheng’s left hand up to kiss his ring finger unconsciously. He did it to Yuta too sometimes, but he doubted either of them understood what he meant. Sicheng’s expression immediately brightened and he was about an inch away from upturning the tteokbokki as he threw himself into Taeil’s arms.

“Okay, I can work with that.” Sicheng said, a smile in his voice as he pressed his mouth against Taeil’s neck, kissing and scenting him. Taeil helded him around the waist, laughing softly as he lifted him onto his lap.

“I promise I’ll look after him in his Rut this time though, I’ll try and discipline him a bit so that you can join us sooner rather than later.” Taeil said into his neck. Sicheng hummed, fully straddling Taeil’s waist now, practically koala-hugging him on his bedroom floor.

“I- I want to stay with you both tonight, I don’t want to be alone.” Sicheng spoke up after a beat of silence, simply holding and scenting one another. Taeil hummed into his neck,

“Yuta’s too close to Rut for that, but I can stay if you want?” he offered, knowing that he and Yuta did the same anyway and he was fairly sure that Yuta and Sicheng had done the same before they’d confessed to him. None of them saw a problem with it and usually when one of them asked for something there was always someone who was willing to give it. Sicheng nodded at Taeil eagerly, pressing a long kiss to his mouth, “Okay, let me give Yuta a call. You eat up before your dinner gets cold.”

Things started to calm down after that, routine leaving the Frat and Sorority in a perpetual cycle of work, sleeping, eating and the occasional fuck when they got the time. Mark and Johnny’s relationship has been much of the same once Mark had joined Hyosun’s Media group and Johnny had made a point to collect him after class whenever he could. 

It was late spring, the cherry blossoms had started to bloom and the chill of winter had thawed out to a warm breeze when Haechan asked the new Alpha, Jeno, out for dinner and the beginning of June when they confirmed their relationship. 

It was also at the beginning of June that Mark was starting to get a little needier for more than just handjobs and blowjobs with Johnny. In true Omega style, he’d started experimenting more with his Heat toys  _ outside _ of Heat and the need for Johnny to be more intimate with him was becoming increasingly more obvious. Mark was in Johnny’s room at the Fraternity one Saturday evening a week before Johnny’s first Business exam. Johnny loved having Mark around, even if it was just whilst he studied, Mark working on a media project on his bed. Except that Mark had abandoned working on the project almost an hour ago and had been trailing kisses up Johnny’s neck for almost 45 minutes, hands sliding along the collar of his T-shirt as he pried for a little more skin. Johnny had hummed his approval at first, smiled and turned his head to meet Mark for a chaste kiss that quickly turned hungry on Mark’s part, but when he’d continued, sighing into Johnny’s ear as he touched himself through his jeans, Johnny gave up on studying and span to look at him in his desk chair. 

“Baby? I’ve got to study,” Johnny said a little dejectedly, bringing Mark to stand between his thighs anyway, “Can you wait for me?” Johnny asked gently, rubbing his thumbs into Mark’s waist and looking up at him carefully, trying to gauge his scent for any hint of early Heat or stress. 

“How long?” Mark asked carefully, fingers fiddling with the hair at the base of Johnny’s neck, “I waited a little already, I’m not sure how much longer I can last.” He mumbled, a blush staining his cheeks as he dropped his gaze to the floor. Johnny smiled to himself, eyes flashing down to the tent in his pants,

“How about I blow you then you can take a nap whilst I study a bit more?” Johnny suggested, tipping Marks head up with one hand and slipping his fingers under his shirt with the other, resting on his hip bone. 

“I want something else.” Mark said quietly, his voice dropping until he sounded a little desperate in their silence. His scent spiked and Johnny frowned,

“You want to get off together?” Johnny asked, running through the things they’d been doing together for the past semester, but Mark shook his head small, “You want to blow me? Come on, Mark, give me a clue.” Johnny said teasingly, a smile playing at his lips as he tried to guess, but the second hitch in Mark’s scent had Johnny turning serious, “Mark?” He asked, concerned. Mark bit his lip and kept his eyes trained on the bookcase behind Johnny’s head. 

“I want to have sex.” He mumbled after a stretch of silence. Johnny swallowed thickly, trying his best not to jump Mark’s bones then and there, the hitch in his scent was enough to show his enthusiasm. Mark eventually met Johnny’s eyes, lip bitten red from all his worrying and Johnny instinctively felt himself reach up to run his thumb over the curve of his mouth.

“Right now?” Johnny asked after a moment, trying to guide the conversation as carefully as he could, knowing that there would be no discussion if they ended up stripping off layers of clothes.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” Mark tried to explain, fiddling with the hem of his own shirt and looking back at his feet, “I’ve tried some stuff outside of Heat recently, too.” He hedged on the comment, deciding to leave out the details, but Johnny was looking at him curiously, standing from his desk chair and guiding them to sit down across from one another on the bed. There was no way he could study now, not until they’d had this conversation at least.

“What sort of stuff?” Johnny asked gently, his hand resting on Mark’s knee now, his thigh pressed into Mark’s.

“Come on, Johnny,” Mark groaned, trying to get him to stop with the questions, but Johnny was giving him a questioning look, “You know, like,  _ Heat _ stuff.” He tried to emphasise. Johnny chuckled softly, 

“If you can’t even tell me what you’ve been up to, then I’m not sure you’re ready for sex, Minhyungie.” Johnny said with a light smile, positively enamoured with the innocent look in Mark’s eyes that felt so far from innocent as they had this conversation. Mark sighed again, biting his lip before Johnny grabbed at his chin to stop him from abusing it any more than it had been.

“I just- I started using my toys outside of Heat, I’ve been really careful. Hyuckie says that I should use lube as well, especially when I’m using the bigger toys, but I- I’ve been working on fucking myself open.” Mark mumbled, eyes trained on the loose threads hanging off the rips in Johnny’s jeans. Johnny tried to control his scent, but Mark could smell the arousal almost immediately. He wanted to smile at that, but he was still too busy being embarrassed about his confession.

“You know, you could’ve come to me about this earlier, I wouldn’t have minded. In fact, I would’ve loved to help.” Johnny said encouragingly, “But I also understand that you might want some time on your own to experiment. Just know that I’m always here to try whatever you want.” He pulled Mark in a little closer, his hand staying at the curve of his hip as he thought for a moment, “I know you want this- I want this- but I don’t want to rush into this, Mark. Maybe for the others it wasn’t such a big deal, but it’s you and me and we’ve been dancing around this since forever.” Johnny said with a little laugh, “I’ve never been with an Omega before and I’m sure you’ve only been with Beta boys-”

“I- I haven’t been with anyone before.” Mark stuttered out, conveniently choosing this moment to tell Johnny that he was a virgin.

“What?”

“I’m a virgin.” Mark’s voice cracked a little and he could almost feel tears pricking his eyes from embarrassment, maybe he didn’t want this. Maybe he was fine with blowjobs for the rest of his life.

“But what about Hyuck? What about Heat?” Johnny asked confusedly, trying not to push Mark and make him cry. He could already smell the anxiety in his scent, he feared he’d just made it worse as Mark didn’t raise his head again.

“He- we never- Hyuck and I just messed around in highschool. It was just blowjobs and handjobs when his parents were out, or making out in the bathroom stalls during lunch breaks. He- he knew I wouldn’t fuck him and it wasn’t even an option for him to fuck me back then.” Mark breathed out shakily, letting out a rough batch of embarrassed tears, wiping them away with the back of his hand before continuing, “Then he left and I hooked up with guys at parties, nothing beyond drunken blowjobs, but they never lead to anything and then I presented as an Omega and everything turned out different to how I’d imagined.” Mark paused, letting Johnny process everything for a moment, grateful that he hadn’t taken his hand off his waist- or worse, run for the hills.

“Not even during Heat?” Johnny asked gently, curiosity in his voice, his scent thick with comfort and it had Mark feeling the slightest bit better.

“No, before that first Heat I’d never even fingered myself before, so Jungwoo and Kun decided that there was no way they’d fuck me that time. My last Heat with Haechan was the same, he said I- he thought I-” Mark cut off, sighing again, but Johnny was moving in, resting a hand on the back of his neck to encourage him.

“It’s okay, take your time.” Johnny mumbled reassuringly and Mark hummed, taking a moment to compose himself.

“He said that he thought I already had an idea of who I wanted to be my first.” Mark said without stuttering, looking at Johnny carefully, waiting for him to understand what he’d meant, “I want it to be you.” He went on, linking his fingers with Johnny’s on his knee. Johnny let out a shaky breath,

“I really want to kiss you right now, but I’m afraid that if I start, I might not be able to stop and we still need to talk about this.” He said softly, running his thumb over Mark’s knuckles, his head swimming with the pheromones Mark was unconsciously emitting.

“I just- I’m ready, Johnny and I want it to be you.” Mark tried to reiterate, holding his gaze for longer now that he’d confessed. Johnny nodded slowly,

“I know, I just don’t want to rush you.” Johnny said, leaning in to kiss his forehead, “Are you on any contraceptives? I won’t knot you anytime soon, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” He went on, thinking about how he could make this as good as he could for Mark.

“Yeah, Kun got some for me to start regulating my Heats.” Mark said gently, “And we can’t push knotting off forever.” He sounded a little disappointed that Johnny wouldn’t be knotting him anytime soon, but he understood why. Johnny was big enough as it was, he didn’t know if he’d be able to manage a knot anytime in the foreseeable future, regardless of how much he wanted it.

“I know, baby, but we’ll work up to it if you really want it.” Johnny said gently, sensing his Omega’s disappointment, “Do you really want to do this now?” Johnny asked after a moment. He knew that if they set a date and made it formal then Mark would probably end up putting pressure on himself and chickening out. He knew Mark well enough to know that he was better at spur of the moment decisions than pushing things off and planning. Mark knelt up in front of him, moving over Johnny’s hips to straddle his waist.

“Yes, I want it now,” He whispered, resting his hands on Johnny’s shoulders, “I’ll overthink it otherwise.” He confirmed Johnny’s assumptions, leaning in to kiss along his neck and jaw. Johnny knew Mark wasn’t the candle-lit-rose-petal type and he knew that Mark’s judgement on things was usually right, so it wasn’t exactly a difficult choice for Johnny to abandon his studying to take Mark’s virginity.

“Okay, but we’re going slow, alright? I don’t mind if you feel like stopping at any point either, there’s plenty of other things we can do, so don’t get all in your head about this.” Johnny reassured, a concerned furrow between his brows as he moved Mark’s laptop and notes aside to lay him back on the sheets, “Just don’t think about anything other than you, alright? If something doesn’t feel good-”

“I should tell you, I know.” Mark finished off his sentence, smiling up at him as he caged him on the mattress, “Do you have lube?” He added as an afterthought, reminding himself that he wasn’t in Heat and that there was only so much slick his body would produce. Johnny hummed,

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Johnny reminded, leaning in to kiss Mark properly now, his lips plump and full as usual, his kisses always reminding Mark of that afternoon under the bleachers. He slid his hands under Mark’s shirt, pushing it up and over his head all too quickly, but he could see Mark appreciated being undressed at such pace. He looked impatient and they hadn’t even started yet. 

“Hyung,” Mark whispered against his lips, fingers tracing his shoulders and collarbones before sitting up to push Johnny back and flip them over, “I’ve wanted this for so long now.” He confessed, straddling Johnny’s hips, rolling his hips as he settled and Johnny was barely containing a groan against Mark’s lips. The air around them was thick with arousal scents and Johnny wondered if it was affecting Mark as much as it was affecting him. He dropped his head back onto the pillow as Mark started making his way down his chest, nipping at his neck and pausing to suck hickeys into his throat. Johnny held him by the back of the neck, letting him go at his own pace, but silently begging for more.

“I didn’t want to rush you into anything, I still don’t,” Johnny paused as Mark experimentally ran his fingers over his nipples, dipping lower so his tongue caught just above his navel, “But I know that you want this and I want to give you everything you want.” Johnny said smoothly, flipping them again and Mark wondered whether he was running the risk of motion sickness. He settled on the sheets, Johnny stripping him of his sweatpants and boxers and tossing them aside, eyeing his little cock hungrily. Mark wondered if Johnny would blow him, he wondered if he’d last until Johnny was inside him, but Johnny seemed to have caught onto his inner turmoil. It was a long moment of Johnny just staring before Mark finally spoke up, embarrassment settling in, trying to close his legs,

“Hyung, stop staring.” Mark grumbled, shuffling on the sheets with his hands beside his head, looking oh-so-delectable to Johnny. He wondered, sometimes, how exactly Mark had ever forgiven him, let alone agreed to date him. It was some miracle in and of itself. Johnny pried his knees back apart, not looking up at him to speak, eyes trained solely on his wet hole and if Mark couldn’t smell Johnny’s arousal before, he was sure to be able to now.

“How can I not stare? You’re gorgeous, baby,” Johnny hummed out, shuffling down onto his stomach to be eye level with his ass, “Fuck, just look at you.” Johnny added under his breath, thumbs pressing on either side of Mark’s hole as he parted his ass cheeks, smiling to himself when a little bout of slick seeped onto his fingers.

“Come on, Hyung, I told you I’ve been waiting.” Mark whined, wriggling his hips down to try and urge Johnny’s movements along, but he was smirking up at Mark over his stomach before diving between Mark’s thighs, burying his face between his ass cheeks and lapping up his slick, “A- _ ahh! Hyung-! _ ” Mark let out a surprised little moan at the action, groaning in pleasure as Johnny got to work, tonguing him open and groaning against his skin as he tasted Mark’s slick. If Mark would let him, Johnny would spend the rest of his life with his face between Mark’s thighs. Johnny was good with his mouth, Mark knew that much, but he didn’t really expect to have enjoyed being eaten out as much as this, didn’t expect it to be quite  _ this _ good. He turned his head to the side, gripping the sheets between his teeth and letting out an unruly sort of moan, needier than the moans he was used to hearing from himself. Mark could tell Johnny was smiling without even looking down to see,

“Ready?” He pulled back a brief moment, looking up at Mark over his stomach, his index finger pressing insistently at his hole where his tongue had just so devastatingly abandoned. Mark nodded frantically, half believing that Johnny could probably sink his entire fist inside him without it being painful at this point. Mark was on a pleasure high, his fingers curled roughly into the sheets, legs parting all too willingly.

“Hurry up,” It came out as more of a demand now, no bite in his words, but a sort of firmness that had Johnny slipping his finger inside him faster than he’d originally planned to, but Mark was taking it, “Keep going, Johnny, I won’t break.” Mark said in a strained voice, hips bucking down onto his hand and Johnny wanted to tease and tell him how desperate he was, but he was practically at the same point. It wasn’t long before Johnny was pressing a second finger into him, resting the palm of his other hand over Mark's sternum as if to ground him, calm him. Mark’s hand flew up to lay atop it when Johnny’s fingers bottomed out, stretching in a way that felt foreign to him. Johnny’s fingers were longer, the pressure he had was controlled, unlike when Mark fingered himself, all languid and desperate- it was very different. Mark took a moment to adjust to the sensation before nodding at Johnny, urging him to start moving his fingers, hips wriggling with the desperation to be filled, to be touched just right. Johnny leant down to press a kiss on his hip bone,

“Do you feel okay?” He asked gently, concern weighing heavily in his voice as he looked up at Mark, eyes surveying his blissed-out expression. Mark whined softly, his hand tightening over Johnny’s where it lay soothingly against his sternum. He breathed shakily,

“R-really good.” Mark muttered, meeting Johnny’s eyes and blushing at the way he was being watched. Johnny had started a rhythm with his fingers now, curling upwards and reaching so deep in Mark that it had his thighs shaking without his prostate even being touched. Johnny sunk his teeth into the flesh of his thigh as he continued, nipping at him until his skin turned a pretty shade of red and purple. Mark let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan, shivering against the sheets and Johnny could tell he needed more, especially with the amount of slick Mark had so suddenly produced. The sound of it was audible between Johnny’s fingers as he pulled them back out to the rim, looking at Mark carefully before stretching his fingers apart and pushing back inside, scent spiking at the sound that fell from Mark’s lips. 

“You’re doing so good, baby, taking it so well.” Johnny soothed, holding Mark’s gaze even when he tipped his head back against the pillows, “A little more then I’ll fuck you, I promise.” He went on, kissing Mark’s thigh again and stretching his fingers apart a little more before pressing in a third. Mark cried out in pleasure, gasping softly and grabbing at Johnny’s hand that’d strayed from his sternum to his little waist, hips jerking into the touch.

“Hyung,  _ hyung! _ ” Mark breathed shakily, trying his best to focus on one thing at a time as Johnny fingered him open, avoiding his prostate with practiced care and it was driving Mark insane. He was a millimetre away from pressing his fingers right into that part inside him, but on every upthrust of his fingers he pulled short just before Mark could chase the pleasure. Johnny could sense his frustration, smell his irritation and it only made him want to tease some more, but alas, Mark had been through enough teasing for today and Johnny wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait out for. It was another five minutes of Johnny’s infuriating fingering before Mark groaned, putting on his best puppy eyes for Johnny and insisting that he was ready. Johnny nodded slowly, reaching for a condom and Mark had half a mind to tell him to leave it, but he knew better than that- for now at least.

“We’re going to go slow.” Johnny repeated his words from earlier, slathering his cock in lube, making sure the slide would be easy for Mark, “I’m not saying it’s going to feel great or anything, at least not at first, but we’ll get there, I promise.” Mark nodded slowly as he felt the head of Johnny’s cock breach his entrance, feeling a whole lot bigger than three fingers, but he willed himself to relax, regardless. He slid in at an excruciatingly slow pace, Mark’s eyes squeezed shut and his hands braced on Johnny’s biceps as he tried to remind himself to relax. Johnny was doing much of the same above him, compromising his own desperation for Mark’s comfort. He paused halfway in, hushing Mark’s soft sobs, void of tears, but the hiccups in his chest had Johnny staring at him tentatively, half wondering if they should stop.

“ _ Please- _ ahh- please,  _ Johnny- _ ” Mark let out a strained whine, griping at Johnny’s arms as if to urge him on. Then Johnny realised that Mark’s Omega was taking over, patience wearing thin as he pulsed around Johnny’s length, wriggling against the sheets. He knew that Mark could take it, his Omega was begging for it.

“Shh-shh, I know, I’ve got you, baby,” Johnny soothed, burying his face into Mark’s neck as he bottomed out, a punched sound ripping from Mark’s throat, “Good boy, look how quick you took me.” Johnny soothed, pressing kisses up Mark’s neck and sucking the space just below his jaw. Mark whimpered, his hands sliding up and over Johnny’s back as he became accustomed to the sensation, his body adjusting to the stretch. It felt  _ good _ . He tried to catch his breath, meeting Johnny’s eyes as he leant back to gauge his expression,

“Please, Hyung,  _ please just fuck me- _ ” Mark whispered, one hand coming up to cradle Johnny’s jaw as he stared at him dazedly, all he could think about was the stretch of his rim, the weight of the cock inside him, the way his cock was practically throbbing in desperation. He trailed his free hand between them both to give himself a little relief, pumping himself in his hand and trying to keep his eyes open in doing so, but Johnny was moving inside him and it was all in vain.

“Is this position okay for you? It doesn’t hurt too much?” Johnny asked gently, leaning down to nip at his collarbones and Mark was nodding frantically, canting his hips so Johnny would continue his movements, thrusting back in ever-so slowly. They worked up to a comfortable pace in no time and Mark was acutely aware that he was producing slick again, the sound of it making him blush and try to hide his face in his elbow, but Johnny was simply groaning and removing his arm to kiss him messily. It was exactly like any other couples’ first time- well, that’s what Mark told himself- hands fumbling for purchase and hips becoming frantic all too quickly, except there was the looming fact that they were Alpha and Omega. Things weren’t quite so simple, Johnny wasn’t quite as restrained, Mark wasn’t quite as content with gentle fucking. 

“Wait,” Mark grumbled, reaching a hand down to grip Johnny’s hips, “I want to- let me ride you.” He got out quickly, sweat dripping down the side of his face and Johnny doubted that Mark would even manage thirty-seconds of being on his knees, but he let himself be guided onto his back, cock slipping out between them as Mark let out a guttural moan, doubling over a moment at the emptiness.

“What? What is it?” Johnny asked, sitting up a moment as Mark’s eyes filled with tears. He reached for his face, looking at him carefully as Mark sat on his knees, mid-way through getting his leg over Johnny’s waist. He gasped again, curling in on himself as his hand flew to his ass,

“I-  _ ahh _ \- j-just-” Mark took a moment to steady his breathing before looking up at Johnny hesitantly, “My slick, th-there’s a lot of it.” He said vaguely, biting his lip and letting Johnny manhandle him to sit over his hips, “W-wait, it’s-” Mark began, clenching every muscle in his body, but his thighs were spread over Johnny’s hips, forcing his legs apart and in half a second Johnny noticed the slick stain Mark had left on the sheets and the sudden rush of wetness that coated his length as Mark sat over his cock. He hid his face in his hands, half trying to stifle his moans at the sensation and half in embarrassment. 

“Holy fuck,” Johnny groaned, eyes switching down to look between them, pressing Mark’s cock aside to look at the slick dripping from his hole, right onto Johnny’s cock, “You’re so wet, oh my God.” If Johnny wasn’t already infatuated with Mark, he definitely was now. Mark groaned at his words, sliding his hands down until just his eyes showed, Johnny guided his hands the rest of the way off his face, leaning up to kiss him for a moment, “Do you not want to carry on?” He added gently, being careful to keep any disappointment out of his voice. He wouldn’t be disappointed if they stopped here, Mark had already exceeded his expectations, but he was well aware that his Alpha would make a fuss about it and Johnny didn’t want Mark to feel put out by that.

“No! No, no, I want to carry on, if-if you want to?” He asked, hesitance in his voice as he asked it, but Johnny was simply smiling at him, laying back and guiding Mark’s hips to sit directly over his.

“Take it slowly, it’ll feel different in this position.” Johnny replied easily, watching as Mark’s cock twitched in interest at the comment. Mark nodded, reaching behind him to line Johnny’s cock up with his entrance, bracing his thighs as he slowly slid down on the length, letting out a sharp hiss through his gritted teeth. Johnny watched the space between them disappear, Mark settled on his cock in near to no time and Johnny wanted to fuck up into him, but the look of bliss on Mark’s face had him fronting for just a moment.

“Oh my God,” Mark let out shakily, hands settling on Johnny’s abdomen only to be pulled away a moment later as he became jittery with the sensation- Johnny’s cock pressed right into his prostate at this angle. Mark lifted his hips an inch, dropping back down a moment later and letting out a cut-off sob that had Johnny digging his fingers into Mark’s hips, making him cry out as he began a shallow pace, head rolling back as that place inside him was nearly constantly stimulated, “Hyung, h-help.” Mark whimpered when he failed to start a proper rhythm and Johnny was only obliging, fucking up into his slowly and guiding Mark down onto his chest.

“Do you want to cum like this?” Johnny asked, breath catching in his throat as he tensed his jaw to stop himself from absolutely railing Mark, flipping him over and fucking into him inhumanely, but he stayed sane. Just about. Mark breathed in his scent, nosing at his neck and nipping at his scent gland as Johnny fucked up into him, it was better than when Mark had tried to do it himself.

“Y-yes, want to come-” Mark cut off on a high moan, voice shrill as he arched his back, feeling Johnny part his ass cheeks as he held him in place, bucking his hips upwards.

“Lean back for me, I want to see you.” Johnny could already feel his own orgasm approaching, unable to hold it off now that he’d got a taste of Mark, a taste of being inside him. Mark leant back, head swimming dangerously as he felt every fibre of his being ready himself for release, Johnny could smell it on him, thick and desperate, all alluring as if Mark could only cum in his presence. He wished it was like that.

“H-hyung,  _ ahhh, hyung! _ ” Mark’s hands rested on Johnny’s abdomen this time, his chin dropping to his chest and his legs shaking precariously. He felt the coil of pleasure in his gut pull tight and he roughly took himself into his hand, sobbing in his throat as he jerked himself off, focusing on the feeling inside him. He was surprised he’d held out for this long, but he couldn’t hold out any longer and Johnny smiled as he watched Mark’s breath hitch, clenching around him. He came hard, body jolting as he threw his head back, his cock a startling red in his fist, ropes of cum staining his hand and pooling into Johnny’s navel as he cried out, tears finally flowing down his cheeks.

“Mark-  _ baby- _ ” Johnny groaned as Mark clenched impossibly tight around him, suffocating him until he could barely move inside him and with that he was coming too, taking Mark into his arms as he fell forward, coming down from his high and catching his breath.

“Fuck, Johnny.” Mark whined into his neck as he worked through it, Johnny coming into the condom inside of him as Mark scattering lazy butterfly kisses over his neck, his own form of praise in his half-conscious state. Johnny took a few moments to come back down to earth, hips settling back onto the bed and Mark had relaxed enough for him to slip out, but as he made the move to pull out, Mark was leaning back with a hand on his chest and a shy look on his face.

“D-don’t, not yet.” Mark bit his lip, feeling Johnny slide back in again.

“I can’t go again, baby.” Johnny said gently, pushing Mark’s sweaty bangs back from his forehead as he stared at him lovingly. He wasn’t sure if Mark would survive if they went for another round, he’d probably end up hurting him and they didn’t really have the time to do so, what with his study prep for his finals.

“No, I don’t- I just want you inside me a little longer.” Mark said, biting Johnny’s collarbone between his front teeth, gentle, but enough to leave a red mark that wasn’t a hickey. It sort of felt like a claim to Johnny- others leaving purpled hickeys on their lover’s necks, but they were wolves and wolves eventually mated. A bite mark was like marking him unconsciously marking his territory.

“I need to clean you up, baby.” Johnny whispered into Mark’s hair, his hands pausing to massage a knot in his back as he lay over his chest, breathing evened out enough that Johnny would have assumed he was asleep, but he could still smell him.

“Don’t- I don’t want to move.” Mark grumbled, nosing at Johnny’s neck some more as he continued soothing the stress in his back, skilled fingers easing him. Johnny humped his understanding, giving him a few more minutes before he gave in, kissing Mark’s neck and pulling out of him, cursing when a bout of slick followed, dripping onto his thighs and making Mark groan.

“I know, come on, I’ll run a shower and then we can be back in bed in no time.” Johnny assured, tossing the condom in the trash can and lifting Mark into his arms to carry him to the bathroom, bodily fluids drying between them. Mark whined a little at the feeling, still gripping at Johnny’s neck when he was put on both his feet in the shower. 

“Thank you, Hyung,” Mark said earnestly, staring up at Johnny with a serious look in his eyes that had Johnny giving him his full attention, placing the body wash aside to listen to what Mark had to say, “It’s sort of stupid, but I- I always wanted it to be you who was my first. Even back in highschool when I was just pining over you, I wished that you’d still want me if we both presented as Alphas. I never actually thought you would end up benign my first, I’d sort of given up on the idea, if I’m honest, but then you showed up in my life again- and Hyuckie too- and I realised that maybe it wasn’t so unrealistic, even if you are still way out of my league and-” He cut off when Johnny gave him a look that told him he was rambling, running off course, “I’m- thank you, that’s all.” He wanted to tell Johnny that he was pretty sure he was in love with him, too, but that seemed much too cliché and he wasn’t quite sure that his feelings would be returned just yet, so he left it at  _ thank you _ . Johnny let out a happy little sigh, content enough to be a purr, and brought Mark closer under the stream of water,

“You don’t need to thank me, Mark.” He said against Mark’s lips, cradling his jaw, “You’ve given me more than I ever asked for, more than I will ever deserve- I should be thanking you. I really, truly mean it when I say how lucky I am to have you, I still can’t really believe it myself.” He whispered, arms firm around Mark’s waist as if he was threatening to slip right away, turn to liquid and circle down the shower drain. Johnny kissed him slowly, trying to get the point across without speaking the words aloud-  _ I want you, I need you- I love you _ .


	3. Prologue

Mark slammed the door with force, tossing his bag onto the floor in the entryway where his and Johnny’s shoes were scattered. Shortly after Johnny had graduated, he’d put down a deposit on a studio flat near campus, close enough that Mark could walk to classes and that he could take the subway to work. Mark was in his final year now, a few months until he graduated, but his Heat was due any day now and every little thing seemed to be annoying him recently.

“Mark? You home, baby?” Johnny called from the kitchen, immediately tearing Mark’s attention away from whatever had been aggravating him enough to have slammed the door two minutes ago, “Hey, honey.” Johnny came to the corridor to greet him, opening his arms and letting Mark link his arms around his middle, breath in his scent and the smell of home-cooked food that clung to his apron. Johnny was still in his white button-down and slacks from work, glasses perched on his nose and the apron pulling at his waist, Mark couldn’t help but stare.

“I missed you.” Mark mumbled, pulling back to let Johnny kiss the pout off his lips and guide them to the kitchen.

“You always miss me when you’re away from me near to Heat.” Johnny half teased, but it was true, Mark had some major separation issues when his Heat neared, “How are you? Does anywhere hurt?” He’d also started getting some abdominal pains once his Heats had started to even out, the strain pulling in his stomach as his Heat approached every semester.

“I’m okay, I just feel-” What did he feel? He couldn’t quite place it, he could never quite place it, but it didn’t feel good unless Johnny was there with him, “I just missed you.” He repeated, dragging Johnny’s attention back away from the pan on the stove. Johnny turned the heat down and came towards where he’d settled himself on a barstool,

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Johnny asked carefully, slotting himself between Mark’s knees and placing a hand on his forehead to feel for his temperature, but there was no spike of the familiar Heat under his palm. Mark sighed a moment, looking down at where Johnny had twined their fingers together in his lap,

“I’ve just been thinking a lot about-” Mark bit his lip, “About mating.” Johnny ran his thumb over Mark’s knuckles with a knowing hum. In reality, Mark knew they couldn’t,  _ shouldn’t _ , really mate now, but his Omega was clawing at him, begging him to bring it up.

“What do  _ you _ want?” Johnny asked, knowing that the thought of mating was overpowered by his Omega side and that if it had been Mark asking, he might have seemed a little more...  _ excited _ .

“I want you.” Mark said vaguely, keeping his eyes on their joined hands and focusing on breathing. Johnny tipped his head up, forcing eye contact,

“Do you want to mate?” He asked, a little more directly, but Mark knew he couldn’t keep beating around the bush.

“Yes, of course, I just thought-” Mark cut off and Johnny could tell that he was getting frustrated with himself, “I just thought it’d be after I graduate, you know? I thought it’d be next Heat, but my Omega’s pretty persistent, apparently.” Mark explained and Johnny understood now. Sometimes Omegas felt the need to brandish their affiliation with their loved one, it would make sense seeing that Johnny didn’t go to the university anymore and there were sure to be new Alphas on campus that might take a liking to him. Surely they’d be able to smell Johnny on him, but without a mating mark, did it really mean anything? 

“Did something happen?” Johnny asked, a warning in his voice, but Mark was quick to shut him down, shaking his head and grasping at his hands.

“No, nothing happened, I promise, I’m okay.” He didn’t doubt that Johnny might go off on a rampage after that last time in Mark’s Media class. If Hyosun hadn't been there he was sure that some of the boy’s limbs wouldn’t have been attached to his torso once Johnny was finished with him.

“Okay,” Johnny said slowly, trying to calm himself from the memory, “Okay, well your Heat is soon, how do you feel about mating this Heat?” Johnny asked gently, kissing Mark’s forehead reassuringly. Mark looked up at him,

“Yeah,” Mark nodded slowly, the more he thought about it the more exciting the idea became. He’d have a mating mark on his throat, he’d smell of Johnny, he’d  _ be Johnny’s.  _ Mark wasn’t sure that he could say no now that he’d posed the idea to him anyway, “Yeah, let’s do it. I’ll be mated for graduation.” Mark said with a smile, knowing it’d probably appease his Alpha to know that he’d be walking up on stage in front of all those people with a mating mark on his neck that showed he was claimed. It made Mark’s stomach flip over, Heat pooling in his abdomen and with the way Johnny’s pupils dilated his scent must’ve hitched a bit too. His Heat was hitting faster now that he’d agreed on mating,

“Okay, you need to eat before we get started.” Johnny said, reluctantly pulling away to mix the pan on the stove and begin plating their food, “I can smell you, Minhyungie, so we need to move fast.” Johnny said a little frantically, counting off the things he needed to prepare before Mark’s Heat fully hit. He’d probably need to call Jaehyun and Kun to get some supplies for him, there was no way that Johnny was leaving Mark alone for more than thirty seconds at a time when he was this close to Heat.

“Hyung?” Mark piped up, placing his fork down and staring at Johnny when he settled across the table from him, “Hyung, is this what you want too?” He asked hesitantly, doubt visible in his eyes, but Johnny was quick to reassure him, his scent flaring dangerously. He reached across the table to take Mark’s hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles as he tried to muster the most earnest look he could,

“Mark, you know this is what I want. This is all I’ve ever wanted, of course, I don’t want to rush you, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while now anyway.” Johnny lifted Mark’s hand, placing a soft kiss on his knuckles, “I can’t begin to tell you how much I want you, please don’t doubt that.” Mark swallowed, trying to hold back the wave of emotions that’d climbed up his throat-  _ damn hormones _ . 

“I know, I’m sorry,” He said shortly, dropping his head to stare at his plate, “I’m getting all in my head.” Johnny smiled at him, nodding in agreement. They finished up breakfast in a comfortable silence before Mark shuffled back into his room on Johnny’s request for him to get some rest whilst he called Jaehyun for groceries. Mark obliged, burrowing his face into his blanket, drenched in Johnny’s scent, along with an array of his Alpha’s shirts and jackets.

Mark awoke to Johnny kissing up his neck, nipping his skin softly as he held him in bed. The room was quiet, only the buzz of the fan and Johnny’s kisses filling the silence and Mark would’ve been at peace if not for the burning fever creeping over his body and the incessant discomfort between his thighs. The sun had set behind the shades and Johnny was stripped down to his underwear, nosing over his scent gland, covering him in his Alpha scent and marking him up as he tried to keep his hands from getting too frisky at Mark’s heightened scent.

“ _ Hyung _ ,” Mark groaned softly, turning onto his back to face Johnny, his hands immediately reaching for his skin to find purchase on his chest in a sort of frenzy of desperation, “Touch me?” He asked hesitantly, wriggling in an attempt at escaping the stickiness between his thighs.

“Hm, already?” Johnny said with a smile, cradling his face to give him a short kiss before pushing the sheets off the end of the bed and crawling over Mark, taking in every aspect of his lithe little body. He was still dressed in one of Johnny’s ragged, old band shirts, his underwear peeking out just below the hem, but Johnny was quick to discard the clothes, spreading him out on the sheets.

“If-if we’re mating this Heat, th-then you have to knot me.” Mark stuttered out, chewing his lip a little nervously, but he couldn’t say that the thought didn’t arouse him. Johnny looked at him carefully, trying to gauge his expression,

“Mhm, what are you thinking, baby?” He asked gently, running his hands up and down Mark’s sides as he soothed him, waiting patiently for him to articulate the question.

“Well, I- we haven’t done that before,” Mark noted, looking to his side, the blush on his cheeks no longer looking like it was just the mere effects of Heat, “I’m nervous.” He added softly, almost under his breath, but Johnny was nodding slowly, leaning over him to kiss his forehead, then his nose, then finally, his lips.

“You’re allowed to be nervous, baby,” Johnny said, knowing that his nerves weren’t to do with mating him, but the process of doing so, “I’ll be as careful as I can, we’ll take it slow like the first time, remember? And if anything hurts, we have the whole week to try again. It doesn’t have to be immediate, I’d rather you were just comfortable.” Johnny soothed, kissing him deeply again, Mark nodding gratefully when they finally pulled apart and Johnny was skimming down his body, eager to eat him out. Since they’d started dating, Johnny had become increasingly more enthusiastic about eating Mark out, Mark might even go as far as to say that Johnny got off on it, but Johnny would deny anything of the sort. 

“Hyung, come on, I need it.” Mark mumbled as he felt another bout of slick run down between his thighs, soaking the sheets a little more and Johnny didn’t keep him waiting long after that. He dove in, tongue lapping up the slick until the only thing he could taste was Mark, humming at his scent, swallowing down his release.

“F-fuck, you always taste so good for me, baby.” Johnny hummed into his skin, prising his thighs apart and burying his face deeper into the space between his legs, suckling on his slick until Mark begged for more and Johnny began pressing his tongue inside him, warm and wet, reminding Mark of the first time he’d done this. Mark whined in the back of his throat, hips wriggling in desperation for some sort of contact on his cock, but Johnny’s hands were big enough to keep his legs open and his hips on the mattress, effectively pinning him down and Mark didn’t want it any other way. He didn’t doubt that Johnny could pull an orgasm from him like this. In their past year and a half of dating, Mark had come to realise that his body was capable of doing a lot of things that he hadn’t realised- his top favourites being his ability to come untouched outside of Heat and his endless libido during Heat. Johnny was lucky that he had the stamina to keep up.

“H-Hyung, w-wait,” Mark whined a little, gripping at Johnny’s hair to pull him up, crying out when he noticed how debauched he already looked, his slick coating his Alpha’s lips and chin, arousal practically tangible in the air, “W-want to-” He cut off, sitting up and beckoning for Johnny to lay back in the space he’d vacated. Johnny let him move over him, watching him with a curious gaze to try and work out what he wanted, it became apparent when Mark blushed a few shades darker, straddling Johnny’s torso and shuffling up his chest.

“Mh, is this better for you, baby?” Johnny teased, lips curved up in a smirk and Mark wanted to turn away, but the need for Alpha contact was stronger and the way Johnny gripped at his thighs helping him line up over his mouth wasn’t something that Mark could simply deny wanting. 

“I- it feels good,” Mark muttered, gripping the headboard in one hand and sliding his fingers into Johnny’s hair with the other, “You- I can feel you deeper like this.” He shivered as Johnny lapped up the slick that’d seeped down his thighs, sucking Mark’s pucker a little more forcefully when his hands tightened in his hair.

“Relax, baby, don’t think so much.” Johnny could feel the tension in Mark’s body, clearly more nervous about what was to come during the rest of his Heat, rather than focusing on his pending orgasm like Johnny wanted him to be, “I’ll take care of you, just like last Heat and the Heat before that- don’t think about anything more than what you’re feeling right now.” Johnny soothed, turning his head to suck a line of hickeys into his thighs. Mark let out a shaky moan, nodding as he closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before Johnny felt his body relax a little more, “Good boy, my good Omega.” Johnny praised, moving his mouth from his thighs right back to his ass, spreading his cheeks in his hands and tonguing at his hole insistently. Mark felt himself relax as Johnny pushed in, the warmth of his mouth sending a shock through his body and he didn’t doubt that his knuckles were turning white with the pressure he held the headboard with. He was right, Johnny’s tongue could reach deeper like this, Mark thought to himself, grinding his hips in little circles against Johnny’s face.

“ _ Fuck- ahhh- _ ” Mark let out a sharp cry as another bout of slick released from his hole, dripping onto Johnny’s tongue and being met with a satisfied hum of approval. He dropped his head forward, eyes squeezed shut as his hips started to build their pace, pressing firmer against Johnny’s face and Mark wondered briefly if he could end up suffocating Johnny with his ass- although, he didn’t think Johnny would be opposed to dying that way. He lifted himself up an inch, just in case Johnny blacked out, but the firm grip on his thighs tightened and Johnny was pulling him back down again, groaning as he began sucking a little more enthusiastically. Mark was going to reach his surmise a whole lot quicker than expected, “Ah-! H- _ Hyung _ \- Alpha!” He tried to catch his breath, fingers scraping at Johnny’s scalp in desperation as he felt his orgasm crest, hitting him all at once without a single touch to his cock. Johnny went on sucking, fucking his tongue into him, deep and fast, as Mark rode out the orgasm, gasping and shaking above him. He could almost feel Johnny smiling against his skin and he knew that if he looked down now he’d probably end up blacking out from the force of his orgasm. It was a few long minutes before Mark recovered, Johnny finally leaning back from his ass, a lazy smile on his face as he looked up at Mark, guiding him to sit over his chest, lest he collapse on Johnny’s face and break his nose.

“A nice start to the week,” Johnny smirked, watching as Mark tilted his head down to look at him, eyes glazed and unfocused, but at the sight of Johnny with his cum in his hair, everything snapped back into focus, “Was it a good orgasm? It seemed like one, your Heat’s going to be pretty intense this time, hm?” He went on, holding Mark’s hip with one hand as he wiped cum off his face with the other, steadily sliding the release into his mouth and swallowing it down and if Mark thought he was going to black out before, he was almost certain he would now. Johnny met his eyes, recognising the look and stopping after swallowing down a second handful,

“Really fucking good.” Mark got out shakily, his thumb running over Johnny’s eyebrow, catching another string of cum on his fingers and experimentally trailing them to Johnny’s mouth, sighing as he watched him suck his fingers clean eagerly.

“Lay down, your thighs are going to give out.” Johnny easily manhandled Mark onto his back once he’d finished licking Mark’s hand clean of his release, “That’s better.” He said gently as Mark relaxed back against the sheets, thighs falling open on their own accord. Mark hummed, watching through heavy eyes as Johnny grabbed a towel from the bedside table and wiped his face off, running a hand through his hair before coming back to bed. He’d laid out all the things they’d need for Heat whilst Mark had slept earlier- towels and clean sheets, lube, condoms, water bottles, energy bars- everything that Mark would need as to not have to move an inch for the next few days. 

“Give me five minutes.” Mark hummed as Johnny settled in bed beside him, his fingers skating over his torso to calm him down. Johnny hummed in response, pressing his face into his neck and kissing his clavicle.

“Rest for a bit, we can carry on whenever you’re ready.” Johnny said gently, massaging Mark’s earlobe between his thumb and index finger to help him get some rest.

His next couple days of Heat went smoothly, Johnny helping him through it routinely, until Mark was sated- the same as usual, until it wasn’t. Mark hadn’t quite expected to know  _ exactly _ when he was supposed to mate, but on his third day of Heat he was overwhelmed by an insatiable need to touch Johnny, get him off, have him crying out Mark’s name until it was the only word he could articulate. He awoke around midday with a pain in stomach, searing enough to have him sitting up and immediately doubling over when he found Johnny wasn’t beside him. Now, Mark had experienced a great deal of interesting Heat symptoms before, but this was new and somewhere deep-down he knew it wasn’t solely to do with Heat. He needed Johnny in more ways than usual. 

“J-Johnny- H-hyung!” He called out, a sob suddenly climbing up his throat as he grasped at the sheets in panic. He knew his Alpha wasn’t far, could still smell him close by and Johnny would never leave Mark during Heat, he’d promised that when they’d first started out together.

“Baby? Hey, I’m here, shh,” Johnny came bounding into the room with a panicked look on his face, a frown creasing his forehead in concern for the little Omega, “I’m sorry, I just wanted to get the laundry in the washer in case we needed to change the sheets again. I’m sorry, baby.” He pulled Mark into his lap, sitting on the edge of the bed with him straddling his thighs, face tucked under his chin as his sobs petered out.

“I’m- I don’t know what’s-” Mark began brokenly, grasping at Johnny’s hoodie and inhaling his scent like he’d been starved for days. Johnny could hardly even smell Mark’s own scent with how thoroughly covered he was in Alpha pheromones, but something was different this time, something wasn’t right.

“Baby? What’s the matter?” Johnny asked, that same frown creasing his brows and Mark wanted to tell him that there was nothing to worry about, except it wasn’t quite true when the pain in stomach hadn’t fully subsided, even with Johnny with him, “Hey, come here, lay back for me.” Mark let himself be pressed back against the sheets, whining when Johnny uncurled his fists from his sweater so he could lean back and take a look at Mark properly, check for any injuries. He pressed his hands over Mark’s chest, skating down until they reached his stomach, pulling back sharply as Mark let out a sharp whine.

“It’s- you have to do it, I can feel it.” Mark muddled through, trying to explain himself, but his Omega was begging for the talking to stop and the fucking to start. Johnny had fucked him a fair few times over the last few days, pulling out and finishing over his stomach everytime he felt his knot inflate, but Mark needed it now, he needed a knot more than he’d ever needed anything before in his life.

“What, baby? What do you need?” Johnny asked gently, coming back up to cage him beneath his body, nuzzling his neck as Mark reached for him again.

“Y-you’ve got to knot me, mate me. I need it.” Mark cried out, thrashing against the sheets a little frantically now. He hadn’t realised how much the idea of being knotted turned him on and he could feel that it wasn’t just his Omega that wanted this. Johnny groaned in the back of his throat, teeth grazing Mark’s neck a little harsher than before. He was already covered in hickeys, his thighs, neck and chest littered in purple marks that only proved to Mark how perfectly capable Johnny would be at leaving an actual mating mark on him, it was hard to think straight with that though in mind.

“Okay, okay, baby.” Johnny answered, pulling back to automatically reach for a condom, but Mark was mewling in objection and only then did Johnny remember that he’d get to fuck Mark raw. Alphas and Omegas didn’t really get STDs as easily as Betas, but Mark was always wary and the thought of getting pregnant freaked him out to no end- Johnny understood that and had been especially attentive to the precautions Mark took; buying condoms, picking up contraception- and a plan-B for that one time the condom split inside him and Mark had got a bit paranoid- anything to make sure Mark felt comfortable when they had sex.

“T-touch me,” Mark pleaded as Johnny pulled his hand back from the pack of condoms on the dresser, “Please, Hyung, I can take this. I’m ready.” Mark said with a sudden urgency that had Johnny nodding eagerly, breath coming ragged. Johnny kissed him fervently, trailing his hand down between his thighs to feel how wet Mark already was- he was in pretty deep if the amount of slick between his fingers was anything to go by. 

“Shit, okay,” Johnny cursed, pressing two fingers inside him as he kissed him slowly, pressing his tongue into his mouth and adding a third finger after a few moments. He was still stretched from the past few days and Johnny didn’t doubt that he could’ve probably fucked him straight away, but he wanted to work him up to, make him feel good, “I’m going to fuck you from behind, alright?” Johnny whispered against his lips, trying to ease him into the thought of being knotted, but Mark was reacting like it was dirty talk, making Johnny smile deviously.

“H-hurry  _ up _ ,” Mark begged, tipping his head back into the pillows and groaning as Johnny spread his fingers apart, “I want it- want to feel you.” Johnny could’ve come from that sentence alone. He pulled his fingers out and carefully turned Mark onto his stomach, lifting his hips so he was held up on his knees and elbows. Mark groaned at the position, parting his legs and presenting his ass to Johnny like he’d never been nervous about this all once before. Johnny smirked, leaning over him to kiss along his spine as he lined up his cock, hands firm on Mark’s hips.

“Want to feel me, hm?” Johnny tested, slowly pressing in, letting Mark adjust to every inch of his cock, bare, no plastic barrier. Mark could feel his chest caving at the sensation, no longer able to control his noises and the broken chant of Johnny’s name only boosted the Alpha’s ego, “Fuck, you’ve never felt this good, fucking _amazing_.” Johnny wasn’t even sure how long he could manage when Mark’s hole felt like this, warm and slick and so fucking _soft_. The stretch wasn’t too bad as Mark had gotten used to it over the past few days, stretched out enough to take him easily, but the sensation of his Alpha’s cock sliding into him raw was indescribable. He could already feel his thighs shaking and he didn’t know how well he’d be able to take Johnny’s knot in this position, but it was better for them both in the long-run. Johnny bottomed out a moment later, hips pressing into Mark’s ass like they had done time and time again, but everything felt _different_ , so fucking _different-_ _so fucking good._

“M-move!” Mark demanded after half a second of adjusting. He was desperate now, the pain in stomach subsiding as Johnny began fucking into him, working up a pace that had Mark babbling into the sheets, drooling into his pillow.

“ _ God _ ,” Johnny could barely think straight, everything peaking far too quickly and Mark seemed to be struggling with the same, “God, Mark, I can’t last long- you feel so fucking good like this, I won’t last.” Mark shivered in response, groaning as he dropped his face into the mattress and Johnny could tell that this wasn’t going to last long for either of them, but they still had so much to do. Mark clenched, pulling a growl from Johnny’s throat, whimpering in response as Johnny pulled him up from the bed, chest to back, to fuck him faster.

“Mark me! Fucking-  _ ahh- mark me-! _ ” Mark dropped his head back on Johnny’s shoulder, shaking from the force of Johnny’s thrusts, his hands reaching behind him to blindly grab at an expanse of skin, anything to ground him. Johnny let out another growl, letting it reverberate through his chest, before leaning into Mark’s neck and grazing his teeth over his trapezius muscle, promptly sinking his teeth into it. Mark felt like a livewire, his body jolting at the sensation, leaning into it like it was the best fucking thing he’d ever felt. Johnny held him still, hips fucking into him unrelentlessly and it was a wonder that neither of them hadn’t collapsed against the sheets already and even as Mark thought that, his orgasm crested dangerously. It was too much, every sensation threatening to have Mark bursting at the seams, but the real reason they were doing all this was suddenly pressing incessantly at his entrance, thick and full like he’d seen it before- Johnny’s knot. He fell forward, catching himself on his elbows when Johnny’s teeth left his neck, blood smeared over his chin and Mark’s shoulder as Johnny grunted harshly behind him,

“Mark, I’m g-  _ mhh- _ c-can you take it?” Johnny wasn’t sure that what he was saying was even completely comprehensible, but Mark was nodding, humming his approval, “Tell me, say it, Mark. Can you take it or not?” He asked again, needing a verbal answer for this, but before he could get that, Mark was falling apart beneath him, coming so hard that he saw white.

“ _ Yes _ ! Yes,  _ please _ , Johnny!  _ Fuck- _ fucking give it to me!  _ I need it- _ need you, need your knot!” His ears were ringing with white noise, body jolting against the sheets, but Johnny had his hips held up, fucking him through it all at the same frantic pace as before. He wasn’t even sure which side was up at this point, but Johnny was there and Johnny was going to take care of him and Johnny was-  _ Johnny was knotting him _ . Mark let out a piercing scream, somewhere between pleasure and pain, as Johnny pushed his knot inside him and came.

“Fuck!  _ Ahhh- Jesus _ , Mark!” Johnny held him by the hips, hard enough to bruise as he spilled inside him, hot and thick and  _ so fucking much _ . If Mark had the energy to sit up and look down at his belly he was almost certain that it’d be protruding from the amount of cum Johnny was filling him with. When he finally ran dry, Johnny leant down to lap up the blood still dripping over Mark’s neck, a scar having formed against his neck, dark and pulsing as if a part of Johnny had physically crawled under Mark’s skin and made a home for itself. Mark was panting into his pillow, still trying his best to get used to the knot inside him, locking them together,

“O-Oh my God,” Mark got out shakilly after a long few minutes of silence. Johnny groaned, carefully guiding them to lay down on their side, away from the sheets Mark had stained with his cum and slick, “That was-  _ fuck _ \- you feel so  _ big _ .” It was cliché, a useless boost to Johnny’s already inflated ego, but there truly was nothing like an  _ actual _ knot inside him. No knotting dildo could ever compare. He felt a pulse of happiness in his chest and it somehow didn’t feel like his own, he tipped his head back a little to try and meet Johnny’s gaze.

“You’re so fucking perfect, I’ll never get over that.” Johnny had a smile on his face, a big dopey grin that took Mark’s breath away and he could feel every ounce of Johnny’s happiness right between his ribs- yes, they were mated for sure.

“I want to see it.” Mark said croakily after a moment, fingers reaching for the scar on his neck, trying to move to see how it’d look on Johnny too. When Alphas and Omegas mate, their mate marks usually appear in the same place on their own body as well, a matching symbol of matrimony.

“Nuh-uh, don’t move,” Johnny said in a strained voice, feeling Mark unknowingly clench around his cock. Mark mumbled a quick apology, settling back down, but reaching for his own neck again, “Don’t touch it, I don’t want it to get infected.” He added sleepily, grabbing at Mark’s wrist and linking their fingers instead. Mark hummed, sighing happily as Johnny pressed his face into the nape of his neck, kissing his spine and nuzzling his hair.

“I love you, you know.” Mark suddenly piped up, bringing Johnny’s knuckles to his lips and feeling the Alpha tense behind him. Mark hadn’t really meant to say it so suddenly, but in that moment, the only word he could think of to explain this feeling was love, “Not just in the way I loved you and Haechan back in highschool. I  _ love _ you, like I’m  _ in love _ with you.” He rambled, beginning to chew his lip nervously when he was met with silence. A few moments passed and Mark’s stomach dropped at the realisation that Johnny might not say it back-

“I fucking love you too, Minhyungie,” Johnny voice sounded raspy, a quiet sob climbing up his throat as he sniffed, “I love you so much that I can barely handle it sometimes. I’m so fucking lucky.” Mark let go of a breath that he didn’t know he’d been holding, relaxing back into Johnny’s chest and turning his head a little.

“Who would’ve thought the great Johnny Suh would cry at a love confession.” Mark teased gently, reaching behind himself to wipe away Johnny’s tears with his hand, “Don’t cry, baby.” He added softly when Johnny began looking a little embarrassed. It felt like forever until Johnny had composed himself, but Mark finally felt the tears stop dripping against his back and exhaustion began settling in.

“You know, maybe I wouldn’t have been such an asshole if I knew this was ever an option for us.” Johnny hummed into his neck, a smile in his voice that had Mark closing his eyes and revelling in the way it reverberated through him.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Mark said drearily. He didn’t mean to be cryptic, he was simply on the edge of sleep. Johnny chuckled, stroking his hair back from his face to kiss his temple, now wasn’t the time to talk.

“Go to sleep, baby, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Johnny watched from the audience as Mark’s name was called, a round of applause followed as he watched his Omega stroll across the stage in his cap and gown. Haechan was sat beside him alongside the majority of their other Alpha and Omega friends and the sudden swoop of pride in Johnny’s stomach was met with Mark’s bubbling happiness in his chest. 

“Stop looking at him like that, I can still get a judge to sentence you to some time behind bars, you pervert.” Haechan nudged him in the ribs, but there was a playful smile on his face now and Johnny knew he didn’t mean it.

“Give it up, Hyuckie, we’re mated now,” Johnny shot back, not taking his eyes off of Mark as he crossed the stage, receiving his degree and smiling for his photo, “He’d never let that happen.” He went on, kicking Jaehyun as he snickered beside him. 

“Kun, Johnny kicked me!” Jaehyun whined, hoping to get some sympathy from his Omega, but Kun’s eyes were also trained on Mark, glazed with pride as he watched him come down from the stage.

“You’ll get over it.” Kun replied quickly, turning to Johnny with a smile, “You better treat him right, Johnny.” He said firmly, looking back to Mark who was bounding down the aisle towards them with his degree tucked under his arm as he almost tripped on his robes.

“Oh, I plan to.” Johnny replied with a dirty smirk on his face, standing immediately and taking Mark into his arms, spinning him around with a laugh. Kun gagged behind them,

“Not like- that’s not what I meant!” He tried to justify as Johnny finally placed Mark back on the ground, absolutely enraptured by his presence alone.

“I’m so proud of you, baby.” Johnny leant in, cradling Mark’s face and kissing his nose, “So proud of you.” He added, unable to keep the smile from his face. Mark giggled, leaning in to press a short peck to Johnny’s lips,

“Thank you, Hyung.” He pulled back to address their friends, “Did you get it all packed up?” The Alphas nodded wearily, smiling back at him as they began gathering to walk to the closest Korean BBQ joint.

“Don’t worry about it Mark, you’ll be all ready to go by tomorrow morning.” Jungwoo said with a bright smile, only a hint of underlying pain in his expression. Johnny had been offered a high-paying job out near the coast, a few hours from the city, but Mark could work remotely anyway. They’d planned to spend a little more time at their current flat before moving, but things tied up pretty nicely when they realised their lease came to an end a few days after Mark graduated. So, in true Alpha-Omega spirits, Mark had spent the morning at Jungwoo’s house with the Omegas all fussing over him and his outfit and the Alphas had decidedly helped Johnny pack their life into a removal van. 

“Come on, you two! Ten’s paying!” Mark looked up in surprise as Lucas called over his shoulder at him and Johnny. He’d been lost in Johnny’s eyes for a moment and the distance between them and the others proved that it hadn’t been a short moment.

“I love you, you know.” Johnny smiled down at him, fingers tracing the mating mark on his neck, reminding Mark of his Heat a few months prior in which he’d said the same thing. He laughed softly, leaning in to give Johnny a proper kiss now that they were alone,

“I fucking love you too, Youngho.” Mark whispered back against his lips. And that was more than enough for Johnny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! I hope this read alright... I might go back and add some things in the future! I'm also looking at doing some side stories for the other couples (most importantly Taeil/Yuta/Sicheng!), but we'll see! Thanks so much reading if you got this far~ I really appreciate it!
> 
> Make sure to drink some water and get a good night's sleep ♥︎


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